


Some Strings Attached

by PinkestPeaches



Series: Spellbound AU (Drarry) [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Draco doesn't know what emotions are, Dumbledore said "calmly", Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feelings!, Fluff and Angst, Harry done goofed up, Harry only knows one spell (and it shows), Hogwarts Fourth Year, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Luna gets the love she deserves, M/M, Magic, Ron is a (bigger) prick (than usual), connected emotions, detective Hermonie, playful, sneaky boys be sneaky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:15:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 24,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26158654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkestPeaches/pseuds/PinkestPeaches
Summary: Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, The Chosen One, is hopeless at Charms. So much so that when trying to complete a simple Rope Binding Charm he ends up tying something that isn't a rope. Can Harry learn to live with this nagging feeling, or will it lead to his down fall?
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Series: Spellbound AU (Drarry) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995031
Comments: 28
Kudos: 148
Collections: Read





	1. Ligatus Fuero

**Author's Note:**

> Hello folks! This is my first Drarry fic, so don't be afraid to make suggestions and corrections. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

“Harry, stop sneering at Malfoy.” Hermonie whispered, lighting smacking her friend on the arm.

“Yeah, but why do I have to be paired with him? Can’t we just trade?” Harry complained, still sending ugly looks to the blond.

“Look, we don’t have time for this. Go over there so we can start the lesson.” Hermonie jabbed Harry in the ribs, becoming irritable that this was cutting into her class time. Harry just huffed in response, walking to where Malfoy stood.”

“How nice of you to join us, Potter. Took you long enough.” Malfoy greeted Harry in his usual, snarky matter. 

“Yeah, whatever. The sooner we get this done, the better.” Harry rolled his eyes, sitting next to the pesky Slytherin.

“Good morning everyone, glad to see you’ve all found your assigned partners.” Professor Flitwick took his spot at the font of the class, waiting for the students to settle before he continued. “Today we’ll be learning a simple, but useful spell. It is a Rope Binding spell, often used as a means to ensure not losing someone in a crowd or by Aurors when making arrests. Now, I want to picture what you want this rope to bind to, in this case it will be your partner’s wrist. Once you have that image in your head I want you to aim your wand at your partner’s wrist and use the incantation _ligatus fuero_.”

“Here you go, Potter, since I’m feeling so nice today, I’ll let you go first.” Malfoy sneered at Harry, trademark smirk sitting happily on his face.

“Fine.” huffed Harry, but sensing that this could be a trap, didn’t cast the spell.

“Oh, come on Potter. Forgotten the spell already. Well, I’m not surprised, I don’t expect anything of use to stick in that thick skull of yours.” Malfoy jabbed at Harry, waiting to get a reaction out of the boy.

“Shut up, Malfoy.” Harry spat, starting to get sick of the Slytherin’s attitude.

“But you’re _The Chosen One_ , this should be easy for you, unless you’re dumber than you already look.” Malfoy continued.

“I swear to Merlin, if you don’t-”

“If I don’t what? Do tell, Potter. What are you going to do?” Malfoy cut Harry off, happily watching the boy reach his limits.

“ _Ligatus fuero!_ ” Harry, fueled by anger and his overwhelming need to punch Malfoy cast the spell. A jet of silver shot off the tip of his wand and around Malfoy’s wrist, but nothing happened. Harry sat back in his seat, blood boiling because in trying to prove Malfoy wrong, he messed up the spell completely.

“Oh no, poor Potter can’t get the spell right.” Malfoy grinned at his rival’s failure. “Here, this is how you do it. _Ligatus fuero_.” He pointed his wand at Harry’s wrist, the same silver stream pouring out but faded away. Harry couldn’t help but laugh.

“Ha! Looks like you can’t get it right either! Who’s dumb now?” Harry was enjoying the fact that even though he didn’t get right, Malfoy did just as bad.

“You’re on thin fucking ice, Potter.” Malfoy hissed from between his teeth.

“Oh, I’m so scared. Malfoy used a bad word.” Harry started taking advantage of the upper hand he suddenly had.

“Mr Potter, Mr Malfoy. Is there a problem?” Flitwick had interrupted the conversation-that-was-slowly-becoming-a-fight.

“No, Professor.” The pair grumbled in unison.

“Don’t fret it boys, not everyone gets this spell right on their first attempt. Maybe next time?” Flitwick kindly smiled at the two boys. Harry’s blood ran cold at the thought of having to repeat this lesson _with Malfoy_.

\----------

“So, how’d you do?” Hermonie asked Ron and Harry as they made their way to lunch.

“Took me a bit, but I managed to get it before the end of the lesson.” Ron beamed. He’s always had trouble in charms and was happy to succeed.

“I managed it on my second try. How about you, Harry?” Hermonie turned to the boy who had been oddly quiet since they left the classroom.

“Oh, I didn’t get it. Apparently Flitwick is allowing the students who struggled another chance to practice during the next lesson.”

“Mate, that’s rough. You’re not going to do it with Malfoy though, right?” Ron asked his friend.

“Malfoy didn’t get it either.” Harry replied.

“Ha! Serves him right!” Ron laughed out, almost tripping on his shoelace.

“Ron, that means that Harry will have to work with Malfoy during the next lesson.” Hermonie added.

“Oh.” said Ron. “Well, we don’t have charms until next Monday. You could ask Fred and George for one of their Fever Fudge prototypes.”

“Harry, you really shouldn’t. It's called a _prototype_ for a reason.” Hermonie said, asserting her position as the ‘mum friend’.

“No, I might. Fred and George are always looking for test subjects anyway.” Harry replied. Hermonie could only sigh in response as the trio entered the Great Hall.


	2. Halloween 1994

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter mentions self-harm.

Harry had spent every charms lesson in the past week with Malfoy, still working on the Rope Binding charm. After realising the pair were not getting anywhere, Flitwick decided they should stop so they could move on with the assignments. Both boys were secretly relieved.

The entire school seemed to be buzzing early Halloween morning, the excitement for the Champion Draw being almost palpable. No one was more excited than Ronald Weasely.

“Harry. Harry, come on, wake up.” Ron shook his half asleep friend, trying to get his attention. Harry just rolled over in response, Halloween has never been a good day.

“Ron, the draw is during dinner. Can’t you let me sleep in peace?” Harry asked his friend, sleep still present in his voice.

“But Harry, it’s Halloween. Hogwarts always has great festivities!” Ron was so excited he almost bounced around the room.

“Yeah, like Hermonie getting attacked by a cave troll?” Harry replied, pulling the duvet tighter against his body.

“Okay, maybe that one Halloween.” Ron said.

“For you at least.” Harry grumbled.

“What do you mean for me at - oh.” Ron suddenly sobered his thoughts. “Your parents.”

“Yeah, so if you don’t mind, I would like to sleep in.” Harry sunk his head further into his pillow, only for his duvet and blankets to be violently ripped off his body.

“Harry, you’re not missing breakfast on a day like this. Hurry up an -” Ron suddenly cut himself off mid sentence, so shocked that his thoughts were almost completely scrambled. “Harry, what have you done to your arm? Is this because of the date, is your parents’ death really setting you off that badly?”

Harry looked at Ron for a moment, completely confused as to what he could be talking about. He suddenly caught a glimpse of his arm and completely understood his friend’s state of shock. His left arm was covered in long, deep slices, skin and angry shade of red and fresh scabs stood out against his dark skin. His bedding was soaked a deep shade of red and brown. He started to panic. Did someone try to kill him in his sleep? What would’ve happened if he lost too much blood. How will he hide this? What if he scratches his cuts too hard and he bleeds again.

“I don’t...I don’t know how that got there.” Harry started to hyperventilate. “I didn’t do this, I swear.”

“Hey, mate, calm down. I believe you, okay?” Ron was never good at comforting others, but he was damn well going to try his best for Harry. “Look, how about you get changed and I’ll get Dobby to change the sheets? I’m guessing you don’t want anyone else to know?”

Harry nodded in response. “Thank’s Ron. I’ll have a quick shower and meet you in the common room.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” Ron replied. “Oh, and try not to hurt yourself any further, okay?”

“Okay.” Harry grabbed a shirt and trousers from his trunk and made his way to the showers. He locked one of the cubicles and stood under the warm running water. Was this a hex? Why didn’t the pain wake him? Was this Malfoy’s revenge for failing in charms? Harry shook those thoughts from his head, he watches Malfoy enough to know if he used any kind of hex on him. Harry ran his fingertips softly across the raised scabs along his arm, cleaning away any dried blood and loose scabs. Maybe he did this to himself in his sleep, maybe he really was upset about his parents’ death. But these lines were too clean, too...perfect. These cuts would leave obvious scars on Harry’s skin, his darker skin being a stark contrast to bright pink scar tissue. This year has really gotten off to a  _ great  _ start.

\----------

Harry’s arm had bothered him all day, he had put so much effort into not scratching at the scabs that he kept receiving odd looks from both Hermonie and Malfoy throughout the day, and more so than unusual. At least it was dinner time, he could watch the Campion Draw, eat some food, then climb into bed. He hated Halloween and was ready for this day to be over.

“Harry!” Hermonie hissed through her teeth, slapping his shoulder to get his attention. He had zoned out.

“What?” Harry asked.

“Dumbledore’s calling you.” Hermonie said with a real sense of urgency.

“Harry Potter? Where is Harry Potter?” Dumbldore’s calm voice rang out through the hall. Harry looked up to see the three champions standing next to the goblet, so why would Dumbledore be calling him?

“Go!” Hermonie pushed Harry to stand, his feet moving automatically towards the headmaster. He looked around the hall, he was confused as to why everyone was staring at him. When Harry reached the front of the hall Dumbledore whispered for him to stand with the champions next to the goblet.

“I now present to you, your four champions!” Dumbledore’s voice bounced off the walls of the Great Hall, everyone sat in complete silence. Four champions? Why would there be four champions if there were only three schools competing? Then something clicked in Harry’s head. He was the fourth champion.

\----------

“Harry, you promise me that you didn’t put your name or ask an older student to put your name in the Goblet of Fire?” Dumbledore asked, the bright twinkle never fading from his eyes.

“I promise. I...I don’t even know what’s going on.” Harry admitted to the headmaster, feeling and cool, yet damp chill run through his body. He placed his head in his hands, this is not how he wanted to spend his day, he wanted to honour his parents’ memory, not disgrace them.

Everyone in the room seemed to be arguing about the legitimacy of the fourth champion but Harry wasn’t listening. He had been zoning out when he felt a sudden, sharp pain across his right arm. The white sleeve of his school shirt had started to turn a violent shade of crimson, soaking the fabric to the point where Harry’s blood threatened to drip onto the floor. His blood ran cold through his veins. No, no, no, not here, not now. In his panicked frenzy Harry ripped off his vest from over his head, wrapping the grey wool around his arms in an attempt to hide his terror. Dumbledore saw Harry from the corner of his eye, the boy clearly experiencing high amounts of distress.

“Harry. Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital wing?” The older wizard kindly asked the panicking boy. Harry, as white as a sheet, nodded in response.

“Would you please excuse me for a moment? I need to talk to Mr Potter in private.” Dumbledore announced to the other headmasters and judges in the room, who didn’t give it a passing thought. He led Harry to the hospital wing, kind enough as to not ask what was wrong as it was obviously upsetting him.

“Good evening, Poppy. Could you please look after Mr Potter, he seems to be in a state of shock and possibly injured.” Madam Promfrey quickly looked over Harry, deciding that he did indeed match Dumbledore’s description. 

“Would you please come with me.” The witch asked, trying to be less sharp towards the upset boy. Harry sat on one of the beds and rolled up his sleeve, blood dripping everywhere. Madam Pomfrey started cleaning the cuts without question, trying to assess the damage. She gasped when she saw more cuts appearing further up Harry’s arm, appearing on their own accord. She had never, in all her years working at Hogwarts, seen a student in a condition such as this. Harry bit his lip so as not to cry out, rouge tears trailing down his cheeks. There was just so much blood.

Just as Madam Pomfrey got Harry’s right arm clean he yelled out in pain. When one arm stopped bleeding, the other began. Harry watched in horror as the scabs on his left arm slowly ripped open, slicing even deeper into his skin then when they first appeared. With his left arm being far more painful than his right Harry allowed himself to cry out in pain, realising that holding it in wouldn’t help anything. Thankfully there was no one else in the hospital wing besides some of the medical students completing their in-field experience. Madam Pomfrey called out to one of them, requesting a pain numbing potion, as well as some dreamless sleep and blood replenishing potions. Harry willingly threw back all three potions, allowing the fowl taste of fade from his mouth alongside his consciousness. 

\----------

Harry floated in the bliss that came with the dreamless sleep potion, but even then, something still felt wrong. He felt cold and damp, he felt pain, he felt loneliness, he was feeling all of these things but at the same time they didn’t feel like his own, like he was borrowing these feelings from someone else. Was he so detached from his own body that it didn’t feel like his own? Slowly this bliss stopped feeling like bliss but nothing more than pure pain, that of the body and of the soul. Had the pain numbing potion faded faster than the dreamless sleep? Was any of this real? Harry didn’t know, so he just lay there, floating in the calm of the potion that felt like it was made of tears.


	3. The Lion Who Loved The Snake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter mentions self-harm.

Harry slowly felt the fogginess from the Dreamless Sleep potion lifting, the world around him slowly increasing in brightness. From what he could tell it was sometime in the middle of the day, golden light streaming through the high arch windows. Harry rubbed his eyes as he reached for his glasses.

“Ah, Mr Potter, good to see that you’re awake.” Madam Pomfrey walked towards the groggy boy, a tray of potions in hand. “I need you to drink this potion for me, then we can talk.”

Harry nodded in response, quickly drinking what seemed to be a pain numbing potion. He cringed at the all too familiar, bitter taste of the potion, drinking his glass of water in a matter of seconds.

“Harry, I need you to answer me honestly and truthfully, have you been experiencing any strong emotions that might drive you to hurt yourself?” Madam Pomfrey asked. Harry shook his head.

“I don’t know what that was. I thought it was magic but I’m completely lost.” Harry whispered.

“I thought so too. Since it’s very clear that you didn’t create these wounds yourself it’s safe to assume that you don’t require constant monourting. But I would like to keep you in the hospital wing for further observation, make sure you’re healing well. How is the pain?”

“Still there.” Harry replied.

“Hmm, very unusual indeed.” Madam Pomfrey hummed. “Miss Granger brought in your school work, which I suggest you complete. I fully expect you to return to class tomorrow.”

\----------

Harry begrudgingly made his way to the dungeons, stumbling across a certain group of Slytherins waiting for him outside the potions classroom. He suspected them to be wearing S.P.E.W badges but noticed that upon closer inspection the badges had something else written on them.

_ Support CEDRIC DIGGORY - _

_ The REAL Hogwarts Champion! _

“Like them, Potter?” Malfoy shouted out. “And this isn’t all they do - look!” He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by a new one.

_ POTTER STINKS _

The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them presses their badges too, until the message  _ POTTER STINKS  _ was shining brightly all around Harry. He felt the heat rise in his face and neck, his blood boiling.

“Oh,  _ very  _ funny.” Hermonie said sarcastically to Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing harder than anyone. “Real  _ witty _ .”

Ron was standing against the wall with Dean and Seamus. He wasn’t laughing, but he wasn’t standing up for Harry either, only furthering the pit of loneliness and abandonment that sat in his stomach.

“Want one, Granger?” Malfoy asked the Gryffindor, holding out a badge to her. “I’ve got loads. But don’t touch my hand, now. I’ve just washed it, you see, don’t want Mudblood sliming it up.”

That was the last straw for Harry, all the anger he’d been feeling the past days threatening to burst out of his chest like a dam. He reached for his wand before he even realised what he was doing, all his classmates scrambling out of the way and pressing their bodies against the cold stone walls of the corridor.

“Harry!” Hermoie said warningly.

“Go on, then, Potter.” Malfoy said quietly, drawing out his own wand. Before Harry could react he was disarmed by Malfoy. In a moment of anger he completely forgot about his wand, charging at the Slytherin.

Harry sent his fist hurtling towards Malfoy’s face, a sudden throbbing pain spreading from his nose. Both boys stumbled backwards, holding their noses.

“Oh, you’re going to pay for that” Malfoy kicked Harry behind his knee, both of them falling to the floor and groaning in pain.

“What the hell have you done to me, Malfoy.” Harry spat, the metallic taste of his own blood filling his mouth.

“What have I done? What have you done? My leg is bruised and you didn’t even kick me!” snapped Malfoy.

“Then why is my nose bleeding if you didn’t punch me?!” Harry was reaching the end of his wick.

“And what is all this noise about?” said a soft, deadly voice. Snape had arrived. He pointed a long finger at Malfoy. “Explain.”

“Potter attacked me, sir -”

“Yeah, well you kicked me!” Harry shouted

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose as the various Gryffindors and Slytherins threw accusations at each other. “Let’s see.” he said, in his silkiest voice. “Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Malfoy. Now get inside, or it’ll deduct even more house points.” 

All the students scrambled to get inside the classroom, Snape stopping Harry and Malfoy as the pair stood up off the ground. “Not you two. You’re going to the hospital wing, now.”

Harry’s ears were ringing the entire walk to the hospital wing. First Halloween, and now this. This year just kept getting better and better.

Madam Pomfrey looked between the two boys as they stood in the doorway of the hospital wing, noting how odd their injuries were. Almost identical.

“Before I let either of you in, I need to know what happened.” The witch crossed her arms across her chest, waiting for one of the boys to talk.

“I punched Malfoy, and then he kicked me.” Harry said.

“In the face?” Madam Pomfrey raised an eyebrow.

“No, in the leg.” Harry replied

“If Mr Malfoy didn’t attack your face, then why is your nose bleeding?”

“I don’t know.”

“Fine. Hurry up and get in here so I can treat you, odd are you’ll be visiting the headmaster after this.”

\----------

“Thank you for coming to my office.” Dumbledore smiled softly at Harry and Malfoy. “We’re here to talk about your charms lesson from a couple weeks ago.”

Harry slumped into his chair. Of course it was about charms and that damn spell he couldn’t get right.

“We need to talk about how and why your Rope Binding charm went wrong. When casting a Binding Charm, the caster needs to both visualise and feel what you want. If a caster is too strongly influenced by their emotions, it can change the desired effect of the spell. That’s why I requested that students be matched at random with someone outside of their house.” 

“What happens when emotions get involved.” Malfoy asked.

“There have been rumors throughout history of a secret relationship between Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin themselves, and they kept their relationship from prying eyes by casting a Binding Charm, but rather than drawing from the image of a physical rope, they chose a magical one. They tied their emotions, souls and magical essences to each other, able to feel what the other feels from any distance.”

“Harry, what were you thinking about when you cast the spell?”

“I was thinking about how much of a twit Malfoy was.” said Harry.

“And you, Draco?”

“I wanted to punch Potter.” said Malfoy.

“Notice the strong emotions?”

“But Sir, if the story about Gryffindor and Slytherin is even true, wouldn’t they have been casting from a place of love, not hate?” said Harry.

“It is believed that any emotion can create the tie if it is strong enough.”

“Well, how do we reverse it?” asked Malfoy.

“When a caster creates a physical rope, it can’t be untied by magic. The only way it can be reversed is if the caster unties the rope, by hand. Anyone else who tries, will fail.”

“So what are we meant to do?” said Harry.

“You two boys have tied your souls together, something that can’t be grasped physically. The only thing you can do at the moment is learn to tolerate each other until we find a solution.”

Harry and Malfoy sat in silent shock. Harry felt Malfoy’s fear and anger bleeding into his own.

“Show me your arm, Malfoy.” said Harry. He waited until Dumblefore had left the room before approaching Malfoy.

“What the hell, piss off you twat. Why should I show you?” Malfoy snapped, holding his arm close to his chest.

“Because,  _ Malfoy _ ,” said Harry. “Wounds like these don’t just appear overnight.” He rolled up his sleeve and thrust his arm at Draco, showing him the fine red scabs.

“Oh,” said Malfoy. He placed his identically wounded arm besides Harry’s, softly tracing his fingertip across the lines that seamlessly blended from one arm to the next. “I’ve always wanted to piss you off, but never hurt you, not like this.” 

“What do you mean never hurt me? We’ve beat each other up on countless occasions.” Harry said softly, even though they were the only ones in the room.

“I just wanted to rile you up, the fights just kinda happened.” said Malfoy, finally taking his eyes away from his pale arm.

“But why? Was I too much of an ass?” asked Harry.

“No, it’s not you. You wouldn’t understand.” Draco tried to move his arm, only to be stopped by Harry.

“Try me.” said Harry, holding Draco’s wrist and he stared into his steel grey eyes.

‘You’re not going to let me go until I tell you.” Draco breathed out.

“You know me better than you let on.” Harry chuckled softly. “You may be a prat but I don’t want to fight. I’m going to try getting along with you, even if I’ll always see you as the bratty kid in Diagon Alley.”

“Fine. The truth is that my Father isn’t a particularly loving parent, Malfoys don’t feel they win. I had to hide my emotions from him, he goes through all my stuff. Mother is too scared to speak up against him, he seems more stressed this year than in the past.”

“Draco, you can’t deal with your emotions like that. You need to learn what you feel and why you feel it.” Harry took the risk of using Draco’s name, realising that the harshness of his surname wasn't needed in this very moment.

“I can feel you, it’s like warmth that holds my body. It’s not me, but still feels like me.”

“Like a warm hug?” asked Harry.

“Yeah, just like a warm hug. Well, what I think a warm hug would feel like.” said Draco

“When do you feel warm?” said Harry

“During the day, but every now and then, it gets cold, like being wrapped in a wet blanket.” said Draco

“I spend most of the day with my friends, that would explain the warmth.” said Harry

“It’s a nice feeling.” said Draco.

“What do I feel like now?” asked Harry.

“Warm, but there’s something else, something comforting.” said Draco.

“I don’t know what that something else is either. I’ve been so stressed from the build up to the first task that I’ve neglected my emotions.” said Harry. That was a lie. Harry knew exactly what that something else is but wouldn’t admit it to himself. He was worried for Draco.

“It’s odd. We have such a strong emotional connection that everything feels..well…” Draco got lost finding the word he was looking for.

“Intense?” asked Harry.

“Well, I guess. The ability to feel both yourself and someone else at the same time makes every emotion feel so much stronger.” said Draco.

“The surprising part is that you can feel exactly where you end and the other begins.” said Harry.

“Why are you sad at night?” blurted Draco. Harry was taken aback from the question.

“A lot of people are mad at me for becoming a Hogwarts Champion, that I shouldn’t get special privileges just because I’m the  _ Chosen One.  _ Truth is, I never put my name in the cup. No one believes me.”

“Ah, so that’s why Weasel is ignoring you.” said Draco.

“You only noticed because you’re a stalker, and you  _ love  _ my misery.” said Harry, causing Draco to laugh.

“Just, please don’t hurt yourself.” said Harry.

“Only if you let me feel warm more often.” said Draco, holding out his hand in a way that mirrored one of their first interactions.

“Deal.” said Harry.

But little did the boys know there was a tabby cat with strange eye markings in the corner of the room who heard everything.


	4. Your Weakness, My Weakness

“Malfoy, why the hell have you dragged me to the library?” Harry had been pulled halfway across the school by his wrist, starting to get sick of the fact that he doesn’t know where he was going.

“Because you’re insufferable and we need to find to reverse the stupid spell.” Malfoy replied, still not taking his eyes off the path ahead of him.

“Yeah, but what’s the library got to do with it?”

“Books, Potter! Books! Merlin’s pants, are you really that thick?”

“No, I just work out.” Harry smirked, enjoying that he could tease Malfoy without any consequences. 

“Stop fucking with me, Potter. You’re all bubbly.” Malfoy stopped and turned to face Harry, still holding on to the shorter boy’s wrist.

“So are you!” Harry replied.

“Why have you been so playful lately?” Malfoy asked.

“Because you’re fun to tease, and from the looks of things you seem to enjoy it.” Harry smirked, stealing Malfoy’s trademark grin.

“So what if I do? I get to tease you just as much.” Malfoy replied, tightening his grip on Harry’s wrist.

“I don’t understand how we manage to tolerate each other.” Harry chuckled, shaking his head.

“We don’t. We’ve just learnt not to hex each other.” Malfoy replied, dragging Harry back in the direction of the library.

“Are you sure? It seems that you’re starting to like having me around.” Harry joked. He suddenly felt some of the bubbles in his chest fade into a dry heat. “Oh, sorry. I hit a nerve, didn’t I?”

“What gave you that idea?” Malfoy snapped.

“You can hide your thoughts from me, Malfoy, but I can still feel everything. You’re mad at me, I’m sorry.” Harry replied in a soft tone. Malfoy sighed.

“Do my ears deceive me, or did I hear  _ Gryffindor’s Golden Boy  _ apologize to me?” Malfoy asked. Harry felt relieved when the warm bubbles returned to his chest.

“Maybe you did, but you didn’t hear that from me.” Harry smiled.

Malfoy released Harry’s wrist from his grasp when the pair entered the library, finding a quiet desk in a hidden corner.

Harry sat at the desk quietly, lightly drumming his fingers against the wooden surface. A lot had been running through his mind as of late, with the First Task just a few weeks away, Ron not talking to him and having to spend more time with Malfoy, it was safe to say that Harry had felt very few moments of calm. Just a few weeks longer, then he can talk to Sirius.

“What’s on your mind,  _ Golden Boy _ ?” Malfoy’s voice dragged Harry from his deep thoughts, the blond placing a large pile of books on the desk.

“Huh?” Harry asked, he had been too far into his thoughts to have heard the question.

“I said, what’s on your mind,  _ Golden Boy _ ? You seem lost in thought.”

“Oh.” said Harry, taking the top book from Malfoy’s stack. “It’s just all this tournament stuff, Skeeter very blatantly fabricated my interview, and she’s honestly becoming a pain in my ass.”

“Oh, yes. What is it she said?  _ Tears fill those startling green eyes as our conversation turns to the parents he can barely remember. _ You seem awfully worried about your image, Potter.” Draco said, dramatically flipping his hands as he quoted the article from this morning’s Prophet. 

“Everyone in the damn wizarding world thinks they know me, I just don’t want any more false truths out there for people to believe. And why in the  _ hell _ did you  _ memorise  _ Skeeter’s article?” Harry joked, flicking through the table of contents.

“Because I knew it was the perfect thing to tease you with. And it seems you enjoy it too.” Malfoy replied, noting a page number of particular.

“That implies that you’re also enjoying this.” Harry smirked.

“Search your feelings, Potter. What do you think?” 

Harry sat back for a moment, trying to gage the feelings in the back of his mind. There were bright, reflective soap bubbles floating from a warm, inviting bathtub. Harry wanted to jump in but restrained himself, realising that he would be crossing countless boundaries, even if he was curious as to what would happen.

“Potter, have a look at this. Bottom of page 58, notice anything?” Malfoy asked, handing the book over to Harry. For a split second their hands touched, sending a warm buzz up the boys’ arms.

“It was believed by many historians that Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin held a strong pact of friendship, a sign of this being a collection of identical scars that both men shared. It is not unusual for the wizards of old to have self-inflicted wounds, it was a sign of solidarity for some, that true friends carried the same battles and scars.”

“This certainly seems to match the  _ Lover’s Story _ , don’t you think?” Malfoy asked.

“I normally wouldn’t believe such an outrageous claim, but after what has happened, well, it doesn’t seem so crazy after all.” Harry agreed, closing the heavy book and placing it back on the desk.

“You know, there’s a theory I’ve been wanting to try. All you have to do is answer a few questions.” Malfoy said, smirking as per usual.

“Fine.” Harry sighed.

“Good. Now, Potter, what do you feel when I do this?” Malfoy asked, tracing shaped along his forearm. Harry looked down at his own arm, feeling a warm finger trace along his arm, even though there was nothing but air.

“I can feel your finger.” Harry replied. Malfoy grinned.

“And if I do this?” Malfoy stood up, brushing against a student as he walked past her, then sat back down.

“Nothing.” Harry said.

“And how about this?” Malfoy rubbed behind his ear, fingertips brushing the skin as light as a feather. Harry shivered, the soft touch of warm fingers sending chills down his spine. He bit his lip and looked down, gripping the sides of his seat. He couldn’t form any coherent words in his brain, and waited for Malfoy to stop so he could answer.

“Oh, you enjoying this,  _ Harry? _ ” Malfoy whispered, seemingly unfazed by the small circles he traced behind his ear. Harry felt even more chills shoot down his back. The bathtub in the back of his mind suddenly frothed with lavender scented bubbles, he felt like he was being pulled into the warm water.

Malfoy kept going, noting how the back of his mind had changed from a warm puddle of water to a steaming hot spring, almost fogging up his own thoughts. It was hot, hot and damp. He suddenly moved his hand back down onto the desk, he went too deep, deeper than intended.

Harry took in a sharp breath, retreating from the warm water he was floating in. There was a part of him saying  _ stay away! It’s not safe!  _ But there was another part of him that wanted more, to let the water and bubbles consume him to the point of no return.

“Yes,  _ Draco _ , I felt that.” Harry said, crafting a revenge plan in his head. Malfoy had taken Harry to a place of weakness and it was only fair he did the same. He reached up and ran his finger through his hair, nails brushing and scratching his scalp. Malfoy’s eyes shot open. He could feel the moisture of the fog settle across his mind, coating him in warm droplets.

Harry grinned, the bath giving off less bubbles and more steam as the water increased in temperature. He suddenly grabbed a section of hair, firmly tugging his raven locks back. Malfoy gasped, lurching forward to cover his pink face.

“My my, Draco, hair pulling?  _ How kinky. _ ” Harry released his hand and sat back into his chair, silently smirking as Malfoy tried to catch his breath.

“That’s not fair!” Malfoy whisper-yelled.

“If you take me to a place of weakness,  _ I’m taking you with me. _ ” Harry purred, breath brushing against Malfoy’s ear. He turned his back to the Slytherin as he left the library, grinning when the steam failed to settle.

  
  



	5. Lily-White, Wood and Vanilla

This is the third day in a row that Harry has skipped breakfast, deciding to reside in a quiet corner in the library with a rather thick book. After learning about the Dragons that Charlie had shipped from Romania, he realised that in order to survive, he’ll need to study. Imagine that, Harry Potter,  _ reading _ .

Harry buried his nose deeper into the book, all of the words blurring together. He was stressed. He was stressed and tired. He tried to focus on his arm and the slow, soft circles that were drawn by a warm finger that wasn't there, something that could keep him grounded when the storm swirling around threatened to take him off his feet and into the air.

“Good morning, Harry Potter.” Harry looked up at the source of the voice to be greeted by a heart warming smile.

“Good morning, Luna.” The truth is that Harry doesn’t know Luna as much he would’ve liked. He’s shared small talk with her a few times, but that was only if he was talking to Ginny. Luna was a witch with a beautiful soul, always able to see the best in people and never ever holding expectiontations of them. She also has the kindest heart, an attribute that translated through her eyes and smile. Those were just a few of the reasons why Harry liked her so much, and would often kick himself in the head for not talking to her enough.

“Is this seat taken?” The soft-spoken witch asked.

Harry shook his head. “It’s free, if you would like to use it.”

Luna smiled in thanks, placing her copy of the Quibbler on the desk in front of her before sitting down.

“How have you been, Luna?” Harry closed his book, focusing all his attention on Luna.

“Oh, I’ve been very good, thank you. The latest issue of the Quibbler arrived during breakfast, there’s a rather interesting piece on Pufflins that my Father recommend I read.” 

“Pufflins?”

“Ah, yes. Pufflins are small puffs of air that carry secrets, whispering to those they like.” Luna smiled, bright eyes with a sparkle that could rival Dumbledore’s.

“Well, have any Pufflins been whispering to you?” Harry asked.

“Yes, but those secrets are not mind to share. Although, there is one that I could share with you.” Luna said. Harry stayed quiet so that she could continue. “I’ve been hearing whispers that you’ve changed, well, your magic at least. I think it might be true, your magic isn’t what it used to be. You seem to match Draco Malfoy, something I’ve never seen before. Two people’s magic changes to match each other, it could almost be impossible. Everyone’s magic looks, smells and feels different, so I felt it only fair to talk to you before I believed this idea.”

Harry sat in silent shock. Luna was smarter than people thought, but not even Harry could think she was  _ this  _ smart. 

“What’s my magic like?” Harry asked.

“It’s lily-white in colour, giving off a scent of pleasantly burning wood and vanilla.”

“How can you tell?”

“My Father always said that I had special eyes, just like my grandmother. I can witness the most raw and pure forms of magic in a way that is so strong that I can see a person’s magical essence, their soul.” 

“Luna, that’s a beautiful skill, Why haven’t you shared it with anyone?”

“I’ve told Ginny and Lavender, but I don't like telling others. I know they all call me  _ Loony Lovegood _ , some behind my back and others to my face. I don’t want everyone to think I’m crazier than I already am.” Luna smiled sadly, the twinkle surprisingly not leaving her eyes.

“Well, I’m honoured that you trust me enough to tell me.” Harry smiled softly.

“I know that you won’t pass judgement, your current connection to Draco Malfoy is a sign that you have a pure heart, pure enough to see people who they really are and not the masks they wear.” Luna was starting more and more like Dumbledore with each passing sentence.

“People say I get that from my Mother.”

“Well, she must be very proud of you.” Luna softly smiled.

“Yeah, I like to think so too.”

\----------

“Potter, I haven’t seen you glare at me from over your toast for three days. What the hell is going on with you.” Malfoy had managed to track Harry down after breakfast, crossing his arms across his chest.

“I don’t know if you’ve forgotten, Malfoy, but I’m competing in the Triwizard Tournament in a few days and I really don’t want my skin burnt to a crisp.” Harry snapped tiredly. 

“That explains why you’ve been so tired lately, you’ve almost put  _ me _ to sleep.” Malfoy sat down, noticing the magazine on the desk. “My, Potter, I didn’t know you read  _ The Quibbler _ .”

“Oh, that’s Luna’s copy. She was kind enough to lend it to me, I really should give it back to her.” Harry replied, leaning back into his seat.

“You’re friends with Luna Lovegood? Weasel really giving you  _ that  _ much trouble?”

“We’re not friends yet, but she’s really nice to be around.” Harry paused for a moment, noticing that Malfoy said something rather unusual. “Did you just call her Luna?”

“Yes, Potter. What about it?”

“It’s just that the only people who call her Luna are her friends. Everyone else calls her  _ Loony Lovegood _ . Are  _ you  _ friends with Luna?” Harry raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe. She’s a Pureblood who treats me kindly. I may be a prick but only to those who deserve it.” Malfoy replied.

“So, me?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Silence settled between the two boys, less uncomfortable than expected. 

“Luna actually said something interesting today. She said that my magic was lily-white and smelt of wood and vanilla.” Harry said.

“Why do you smell of vanilla if I smell of vanilla? No two people have the same magic.”

“That’s the point. She said that we have the same magic.” Harry replied. Malfoy pondered for a moment.

“She’s got a point. I’m guessing she knows about the bond?”

“Not the bond, exactly. Just a shared magic, a shared soul.”

“That’s trippy as hell.”

“Agreed.”

Harry took off his glasses for a moment, whipping them on the bottom hem on his shirt. He has been so stressed that he failed to acknowledge the warm body of water in the back of his mind.

“You’re in a good mood for someone who’s about to attend Potions detention.” Harry piped up.

“I like potions, I’m just disappointed that I’m stuck catching up on lost time with you.” Malfoy replied.

“I don’t know about that, Malfoy. You don’t feel very disappointed to me.” Harry smirked as he put his glasses back on his face. The world around him came back into focus, the blond seated in front of him lightly tapping his finger on the wooden desk.

“Well, are you done? I would rather get to Potions on time and get this over with.” Malfoy stood up, smoothing out his robes.

“Aw, you came to get me? How kind of you.” Harry replied in mock admiration. Malfoy rolled his eyes.

“I swear to Merlin, if you don’t get rid of those bubbles I’ll hex you.”

“Empty threats, Malfoy. I know you wouldn’t risk damaging that  _ pretty  _ face of yours.” 

“Oh, so you admit I’m pretty?” Malfoy smirked. Harry didn’t say anything, rolling his eyes as he followed Malfoy out of the library and down to the school dungeons. 

\----------

“Pass me the toad’s blood, would you?” Malfoy looked down at the blue, bubbling liquid in the caldron, only moving his hand to smack Harry’s. “Not that one, you buffoon. I said the toad’s blood.”

“Why do I have to get it? It’s very clear you can get it yourself if you’re able to smack my hand.” Harry replied, crossing his arm across his chest.

“Um, because I asked you to?”

“Need I remind you that this is detention and  _ not  _ a date.” Snape’s smooth voice cut through the air of the near-empty room as he left. Both boys flushed bright pink.

“Potter, will you take this seriously? You’ve been bubbling more than this damn potion since we left the library.” Malfoy whispered to Harry, stirring the potion counter clockwise.

“Well, excuse me princess, you’re not better.” Harry whispered back, managing to find the toad’s blood.

“Did you just call me princess?” Malfoy almost lost complete focus, his thoughts overtaken by a swarm of bubbles.

“Yes, bratty enough to be a royal but not nice enough to actually have a crown.”

“Ha, ha. Very funny.” Malfoy rolled his eyes. He looked back at the caldron, the potion an ugly shade of purple.

“Is it supposed to be that colour?” Harry asked, peering over Malfoy’s shoulder.

“No, no it’s not.” Malfoy huffed, dropping his head in defeat. “Ever since that damned Charms lesson I’ve been falling behind in my classes. You’re such a distraction.” 

“ _ I’m  _ the distraction?! You’re constantly bumming me out. I’ve got enough problems already and I don’t need yours too.”

“You’d be constantly bummed out too if your Ex-Death Eater father was constantly on your ass for your grades.” Malfoy shattered the vial in his hand, ignoring the stabbing pain from the glass shards.

“Don’t talk to me about high expectations,  _ you’re  _ not the one under constant pressure to be the  _ Perfect Hero. _ ” Harry jabbed a finger into Malfoy’s chest, his blood dripping from his hand and onto the crisp, white shirt.

“At least people want you as the hero, everyone treats me like the villain I’m destined to be!” Malfoy stood toe to toe with Harry, anger shooting through his veins. 

Harry stood in silent shock. Every hero needs a villain and Harry designated that role to Malfoy without ever considering his feelings. Eleven-year-old Harry decided that Draco Malfoy was the villain in his story, and all from a first impression. They were just kids, kids who hadn't discovered who they were and who they wanted to be.

“I’m sorry.” Harry looked down at his blood soaked hand, removing it from Malfoy’s chest. “I’ve treated you like utter shit all because of your name. I just thought you were a bratty kid, but when I learnt of your father’s history in the war, I ended up projecting all the anger from my parents’ death onto you. You didn’t deserve that, I’m sorry. If anyone’s the villain here, it’s me.”

“No, I’ve been just as bad. You were the first person outside of the Death Eater circle I ever met and you were also the one person I was taught to hate, that you were evil for destroying the man my family saw as a god. We both made misguided judgements about each other and all because of our names.” Malfoy sighed. “We were dumb kids.”

“Yeah, yeah we were.” Harry said, feeling almost all of Malfoy’s anger settle. “Malfoy-”

“Draco.” He cut Harry off.

“Draco,” Harry looked up into Draco’s wide, grey eyes. “Can I see your hand?”

Draco nodded, moving his hand up for Harry to see. Harry took the hand between his own, carefully picking out the various glass shards that were lodged under Draco’s skin. He took his time, the blood from his own hand coating the underside of Draco’s. Harry’s fingers were delicate when making contact with Draco’s skin, leaving almost a feather of a touch. No words were spoken, but both boys knew the other was calm and warm like the soft waves of a sun kissed beach. The water held you up, almost completely wrapping around your body while the sun warmed your chest and face. It sounds silly to say something was sun kissed, but the light rays really did pepper you with soft kisses, the kind of kisses that left warmth in their wake rather the lonely coldness the pair were so used to.

Harry retracted his hands from Draco’s, feeling an odd level of cold despite his hands being almost completely coated in blood.

“Hey, ah, do you know any cleaning spells?” Harry asked, still looking at his hands.

“You don’t?” Draco replied, drawing his hand from his robes with his clean hand.

“No. You of all people should know that I’m terrible at Charms.”

“Yes. You only know one spell and it shows.” Draco quickly flicked his want, cleaning and healing his own hand before he did that same to Harry’s. “And if it makes you feel any better, I didn’t get the spell myself.”

“Yeah, that does make me feel a little better. If I fail to find a counterspell then you’re going down with me.” Harry grabbed his things as he walked out the door, Draco following suit.

“Do I have a choice?” Draco lifted an eyebrow

“Nope.”


	6. The Best Parties

Draco bounced his leg, sitting nervously in the stands. Harry was terrified, Draco could feel it. He’s trying to keep positive as a means to provide comfort, but Harry’s fear was threatening to overtake him completely. He had to make sure Harry was okay and made it out unharmed for his own sake, not out of worry or anything like that. 

“Draco, I’ve never seen you this nervous before. You’ve got enough money already, you’re not at loss if you don’t win the bet.” Pansy’s voice cut through Draco’s thoughts.

“This is Potter we’re talking about. It’s not about money, it’s about me being right about his failure.” Draco replied, turning his head towards the girl next to him. He knew that Harry would make it out alive, but bet that he wouldn’t make it past 5 minutes. There were only five other people who knew about the bond, but even then he still feels uneasy about things. He knows that Luna figured it out because of her extended abilities, but what is someone else figured out? What kind of punishment would he receive from his friends, his house or even his father?

Draco watched a dragon get guided into the event area, piercing yellow eyes cutting through the darkness of her black scales. A Hungarian Horntail. Draco’s heart rate picked up, bone chilling fear reaching its peak. What would cause the most damage, her flames or her barbed tail?

A familiar raven-haired stepped into the playing field, the volume in the stands reaching an earth-shattering peak. Draco’s grey eyes locked on to the back of Harry’s head, both boys almost visibly shaking.

The whooshing sound of a broom could be heard, a Firebolt landing in Harry’s hand. Draco couldn’t help but laugh. What a sly bugger. Harry suddenly shot off into the air, leaving the stadium in silent suspense as he left the ground.

Draco’s heart suddenly jumped into his throat. Harry had done a sudden 180 and was now flying head first towards the ground at alarming speeds. He pulled up as quickly as he shot down, his left shoulder grazing the edge of one of the Horntail’s barbs. Draco hissed, feeling the sting of the wound, but thankful that it wasn’t deep.

Draco watched Harry zip and swerve around the dragon using what could only be Quidditch techniques, almost instantly recognizing the ones that Harry had so often used against him. It was very clear that Harry was comfortable in the air, the crippling fear in the back of Draco’s mind starting to lift.

After managing to get the dragon to lift into the air, Harry dove for the nest, taking the egg and completing the task. The audience lifted into a complete uproar, thundering in Draco’s ears.

“Oi, mate. You owe me 10 Galleons!” Blaise yelled above the noise at Draco. He sighed in response, pretending that he was disappointed when in reality, he was more relieved than he’s ever been.

\----------

“Good to see you’re not dead.” Draco greeted Harry, entering the suddenly appearing door on the seventh floor. Dumbledore had recommended this location for any required meetings, since both boys could be in danger if they were seen being anything less than mean to each other.

“You know, most people say ‘Hi Harry, how are you?’ before talking about my constant impending doom.” Harry replied, crossing his arm across his chest. He had buried himself into a grey couch in the corner, almost drowning in pillows and blankets.

“ _ Hi Harry, how are you? Good to see you’re not dead. _ ” Draco replied, rolling his eyes at the so-called Savior of the Wizarding World.

“See? How hard was that?” Harry managed to tackle his way off of the couch, falling onto the ground as he grinned up at Draco.

“Near impossible.” Draco replied, almost laughing at how stupid Harry looked on the ground, limbs tangled up in various blankets.

“I got cut today. Did you go to the Hospital Wing?” Harry started unwrapping the thick blankets that surrounded his body, slipping off the fabric as he tried to get up, falling and spilling on blanket after blanket.

“No. I had Zabini on my ass almost all day because I lost a bet.” Draco replied, offering a hand to the clearly struggling boy on the ground. Harry gladly took it, brushing himself off as he stood up.

“What was the bet?”

“That you wouldn’t last five minutes. He picked 8, so he won.”

“Wow. Good to see that you care.” Harry replied in mock hurt.

“Did you expect any less?” Draco flopped onto the couch, hissing in pain as the fabric of his shirt broke his new scabs.

“Damnit, Draco, you’re too stubborn for your own good.” Harry said, standing directly in front of the boy in question.

“What do you mean?” Draco replied, raising an eyebrow.

“You never let anyone heal you, you idiot. You’ll just keep hurting yourself.” Harry sighed, sitting back down on the couch.

“I can’t let anyone know that I’m hurt, they’ll just use that against me.” Draco said, protectively wrapping his arms around his body.

“Draco, that’s ridiculous. You’re at school, I think the most harm anyone would want to do is to your pride, not your life.” Harry turned to the boy next to him, being careful to watch his tone. “Come on, you can’t hide your hurt from me. Will you let me help?”

“Potter, you’re hopeless at Charms. You’ll just end up spelling my arm off.” Draco rolled his eyes, sinking further into his seat.

“I’ll just do it the muggle way. I promise I won’t kill you.” Harry said. Draco rolled his eyes again. If there was one person in all of Hogwarts more stubborn than him, it was Harry.

“Fine. But make it quick, I don’t want to get cold.” Draco huffed, slowly unbuttoning the top of his shirt and peeling the fabric from his shoulder. Most of the scabs came away on the now-maroon coloured fabric, a new round of blood leaking from the broken skin.

Harry got to work right away, soaking a fresh towel in warm water. “I seem to be patching you up an awful lot as of late.” He commented as he lightly wiped the cloth over Draco’s wounds.

“Well, you’re not as rough as Madam Pomfrey. She’s a great nurse but can get a bit aggressive when coaxing you potions.” Draco replied, sinking his teeth into his lip as his shoulder kept stinging. “How are you so good at this anyway?”

“I learnt how to take care of myself at a young age. My uncle and aunt weren’t too worried if i bleed to death or not, so I figured out how to patch myself up every now and then.” Harry had finished cleaning the wound and slowly applied salve to the broken skin. He did his best to be careful but he could feel how painful the cuts were.

“Why didn’t they care?” Draco asked, casting a quick cleaning charm on his shirt while Harry taped gauze onto the boy’s shoulder.

“If pureblood muggles ever existed, they would be the perfect example.”

“They didn’t like you because you were a wizard?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Draco slowly buttoned up his shirt, an unusual collection of emotions floating around in the back of his head. There was a hot spring, bubbling away with steam rising from the surface. The odd part were the waves that crashed against the edge of the spring, water jumping out and into the space around it.

“What’s on your mind?” Draco asked, picking up a teacup from the small table that had suddenly appeared between himself and Harry.

“I want to actually get to know you, Draco.” Harry replied, picking up the second teacup from the small table. “I rejected you on the train all those years ago because of the mask you wore, the mask you had to wear as a Death Eater’s son.”

Draco flinched at the words Death Eater, causing Harry to pause. “How do you  _ know  _ that it’s a mask, that the past years have been nothing but an act?” Draco asked, staring down at the tea slowly swirling around in it’s small cup.

“Because it’s impossible for us to hide our true emotions from each other.” Harry paused to take a sip of his tea. “You’ll always know when I’m happy and I’ll always know when you’re upset. This is just our new normal.”

“I really did want to get to know you back when we first met, I still do, I just think that my motives have changed over the years.”

“How so?” Harry asked.

“In First Year I wanted to be your friend. I thought that everyone would like me if we were friends, even my Father. But after you rejected me I made it my mission to learn everything about you, use that against you. I wanted to annoy and upset you so that you would feel how I felt.”

“And how do I know that you want to be friends and not just steal information?” Harry peered over his drink at the blonde who sat with a disappointed look written across his sharp features.

“Harry, if I ever tried to lie to you you would just see right through it. I don’t think the bond would be able to hide a lie, not from you.” Draco spoke softly, confused as to why he would show Harry such a vulnerable side of himself. Was it the comfort of the bond that made him feel safe enough to share such things? He shook that thought from his head. “How were the Post-Task celebrations? I’ve heard that Gryffindors throw rather  _ rambunctious _ parties.”

“Gryffindor parties are one of a kind.” Harry grinned. “What are Slytherin parties like?”

“Highly refined.” Draco replied, taking a sip of tea. “Well actually, not really. You would be surprised at how many Slytherins like to  _ let loose _ .”

“Well, Draco, do you like to  _ let loose _ ?” Harry joked.

“If you ever attend a party with me then you might just find out.” Draco joked back.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“But really, how was it? Anything interesting happen?”

“Quite good, actually. Ron finally, as you would fondly say, got his head out of his ass.” Harry smiled from over his own tea cup, enjoying how the steam from the drink alone warmed his face.

“My, my. Is  _ Golden Boy Potter  _ using  _ dirty  _ language?” Draco smirked, raising an eyebrow.

“You can’t prove that.” Harry put down his tea cup and crossed his arms over his body like a four year old refusing to go to bed.

“Oh, I so can.” Draco replied, putting down his tea cup as well.

“You’ll have to catch me first!” Harry leaped off the couch, darting towards the other side of the room. Draco, not far behind, sprinted after him. He chased Harry for a few moments before he came up with a  _ fabulous  _ idea.

Draco mounted the broom that appeared next to him, picking up speed as he flew towards Harry. He jumped off the broom when he was right behind Harry, tacking the boy to the ground.

Draco suddenly felt the boy beneath him shaking. He was  _ laughing _ . Harry Potter was  _ laughing _ . Both boys fell into fits of giggles over how silly all this was, fueled by the other’s playfulness. It was all crazy really, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy getting along but, for some bizarre reason, it felt right. Maybe it was the bond, maybe it wasn’t, but in this moment there were no heroes or villains, no good and evil, just joy and comfort.

\----------

It was well past curfew when Harry left the Room of Requirement, it was a place where you could lose track of time and never realise until it’s too late. He quietly snuck back into the Gryffindor common room hoping that no one else was awake. Harry was wrong. He was  _ very  _ wrong.

“Harry James Potter, where in the  _ world  _ have you been all evening?” Hermonie was seated on the couch closest to the door, golden flames of the fireplace illuminating her dark complexion.

“Ah...nowhere?” 

“You seem very unsure of that answer. Want to try again?” Hermonie’s scowl sat deeper in her round features.

“Nowhere. I was nowhere.”

“Good. Now tell me, is there some poor girl I need to apologize to because you died of mysterious causes when returning back late from your snog appointment?” Hermonie walked towards Harry, her voice becoming worryingly dangerous.

“What? No. Merlin, no. I can’t let just any girl snog me, I’m  _ The Chosen One _ , ‘Monie.”

Hermonie slapped her hand around the back of Harry’s head. “Answer the question, you idiot.”

“Okay! Okay, sorry. No, I’m not snogging anyone.” 

“Fine. Just, go to bed. You’re lucky that Ron partied himself to sleep.”

“Um, okay?” Harry made his way towards the boy’s dorm, climbing into bed and relaxing into the calm, warm waters in the back of his mind.

Hermonie stayed in the common room after Harry left, crossing out the work  _ girlfriend  _ in her notebook. She had never been so confused before and was left asking herself the same question over and over again.  _ What was going on with Harry Potter?  _


	7. Lovers in the Sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, got a slightly longer one for you today. Just wanted to say thank you very quickly, I've never had this much reader engagement before and it has really motivated to write longer chapter at a much faster pace. So thank you all very much, I greatly appreciate it.
> 
> I also want to apologize if the pacing feels a little off. Not much of the book's original events have changed so I haven't written them in, causing uneven time jumps. I do apologize for that, but things are starting to turn in the plot and hopefully that should even out my pacing.

Harry walked through the school grounds, searching for a particular head of dirty blonde hair. Even though he had patched everything up with Ron he still had other friends he liked to talk to. Harry eventually found the person he was looking for, also noticing a familiar red-head.

“Hi Ginny. Hi Luna. What are you guys up to?” Harry asked, sitting beside the girls on the bright green grass.

“Oh, good afternoon Harry. Ginny and I were just talking.” Luna smiled at Harry, sending a jolt of warmth through his body. She was always kind and welcoming, a certain sparkle in her eyes showing the purity of her soul.

“Well, what are you talking about?” Harry asked, picking at the grass next to his feet.

“The sun. There’s something rather magical about how the sky can be painted such beautiful colours in the evening.” Luna replied, looking up at the beginnings of a sunset, a soft orange glow surrounding the clouds that sat in a vast sea of baby blue.

“A beautiful end to a beautiful day.” Ginny lay back into the soft grass, watching all the various shaped clouds float by.

“I prefer the sunrise. You watch the entire sky light up, the sun shining through the darkness as it chases the moon.” Harry said, tying a knot into a long blade of glass he had picked.

“Why do you think the sun chases the moon?” Luna asked, still gazing up into the heavens.

“To chase away the darkness and the fear that comes with it. Giving everyone the ability to see and feel safe.” Harry replied.

“But at the end of the day the moon comes back, bringing the darkness and the stars with it. Why is there fear in the night when there’s the beauty of the stars and moon to enjoy?”

“People are scared of what they can’t see, even if it’s not there. It’s the idea of what _could_ be hiding in the darkness that causes fear.” Harry replied, wondering where this conversation was going.

“Yes, I guess you’re right. I see things differently, the sun and moon chasing each other not in a game of cat and mouse but rather seeking the other’s company.” Luna took her silver eyes from the sky and looked at Harry. “The day and the night miss each other and that is why the sunrises and sunsets are so beautiful. It’s the few moments during the day where the two lovers are reunited, their love and joy painting the skys. The day is blue and the night is dark because that’s how the lovers feel when they are torn apart.”

“Merlin, Luna. It’s Friday, why are we going into deep conversations?” Ginny sat up, an absurd amount of loose grass sticking to her bright red hair.

“Um, Ginny? You’ve got a little something-” Harry gestured to her hair.

“Hm?” Ginny pulled a handful of hair in front of her eyes. “Oh. Yeah, that happens.” She then proceeds to shake her head, slowly getting more violent as none of the grass seemed to leave her hair.

‘Ginny, stop! You’ll give yourself a concussion!” Harry shouted. Ginny instantly stopped shaking her hair, staring Harry dead in the eyes.

“I play Quidditch with Fred and George, _for fun_ . I think a concussion is the _least_ of my problems.”

“She does have a point. You of all people should know how dauntless those two become when they get to the skies.” Luna added, moving closer to Ginny to pick the grass out of her hair.

“Ginny, are any of your brothers sane?” Harry joked, brushing grass off his robes as he stood up.

“Of course not. There’s only one brain cell between all of us and it’s mine.” Ginny replied, Luna quietly giggling beside her. Harry shook his head as he made his way back into the castle.

\----------

“Good, you’re back. We need to talk.” Harry was immediately ambushed by Hermione the moment he entered the common room, the girl dragging him over to the table when Ron waited for them. Hermione pushed Harry into the chair before walking over to her own. “Talk”

“About what?” Harry asked, genuinely confused as to what his friends would be so desperate to talk about. Was it the Second Task?

“Where were you?” Hermione asked, cutting right to the chase.

“I was just talking to Ginny and Luna. Ron, if this is because-”

“No, this isn’t about them. It’s about you.” Ron cut Harry off. “Mione said you snuck in late the other night. Care to explain?”

Harry panicked. They couldn’t find out about Draco, he could lose all his trust. He tried to focus on Draco but the boy’s feelings weren’t pleasant, he seemed sad. This just worried Harry even further. 

“I was at the library.” Harry said, hoping his lie would work. Hermione raised an eyebrow.

“And why were you at the library after curfew? It closes long before then.”

“I had the cloak, I was trying to crack the clue from the First Task.” Harry chewed the inside of his lip. Ron seemed to fall for it but Hermione was still unsure.

“If that’s what you say you were doing. But I don’t like how you’re so secretive and sneaking around. Please don’t tell me you’re breaking the rules.”

“No, of course not.” Harry replied in confidence. That wasn’t a lie, he wasn’t breaking any _school_ rules but his personal ones? Harry felt like he had broken every rule he had made for himself.

“He’s not lying, ‘Mione. We should leave it be.” Ron interjected, saving Harry from the heat of Hermione’s integration. 

“Okay, okay. Fine. But I still think you’re hiding something.” Hermione said before leaving for the girl’s dormitories.

“Girls.” Ron shook his head, leaning back in his chair.

“Ah, yeah. Girls.” Harry replied, his mind drifting back to Draco. Was he okay? Did his sudden panic upset him? Harry felt like there was a wet blanket coating his mind, weighing down his thoughts. He should talk to Draco, see if he’s okay. Harry shook his head, pushing those thoughts to the side. Shouldn’t invade his space.

\----------

“What’s got you in such a mood today, Potter?” Draco could feel Harry’s annoyance radiating off the boy before he even entered the room.

“The damned Yule Ball. I’m a hopeless dancer and I _have_ to take a date.” Harry grumbled, neck deep in a grey blanket.

“Oh yes, the Yule Ball.” Draco replied, sitting down next to Harry on the sofa. He took the green blanket at his feet and draped it over his legs. “You know, if I wasn’t so hellbent on seeing you stumble around hopelessly in front of everyone I might have actually helped you.”

“Oh, that’s so unfair.” Harry said. “I need some pointers. And if you don’t then I’ll force you to tell me.”

“What are you going to do? Tickle torture? You know nothing will work, right?” Draco replied, almost laughing at the absurd face Harry made.

“No, you’re right. I know you’re not mean enough to refuse helping me.” 

“Excuse me, I am _extremely_ mean.” Draco replied in mock hurt. “If I ever wanted to help you it would be so that I could hex your shoelaces together when you weren’t looking.”

“Okay, that’s actually kinda mean. I should try it on you some time.” Harry got up, standing in front of Draco. “There’s gotta be _something_ you can suggest. I’ve had three lessons already and haven't gotten anywhere”

Draco sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine, stand back and go through the steps. Don’t worry about your arms and _don’t_ look at your feet.”

“Hm, so grumpy. You could give Professor McGonagall a run for her money.” Harry replied, following Draco’s instructions. He started moving slowly, remembering when to turn despite his off timing. Music suddenly filled the room, Harry secretly glad that they always met in the Room of Requirement.

“Wow, Potter. You’re actually more coordinated than I expected.” Draco jokenly poked at Harry.

“Yes, because I’m not on the Quidditch team or anything.” Harry poked back, still moving in circles in time with the music.

“Yes, yes, I know. Youngest Seeker of our generation.” Draco replied, rolling his eyes. “Now lift your arms into position.” 

Harry complied, awkwardly lifting his arms as if he were dancing with a partner. Draco snorted.

“Okay, this just feels weird.” Harry stated, stopping in the middle of the room.

“What’s wrong? Do you need a mannequin to practice with?”

“No. It’s just that waltzing by yourself feels awkward after a while.”

Draco stood up, walking over to where Harry stood. He placed one hand on Harry’s shoulder, taking his hand in the other.

“Draco, you’re taller than me.”

“Yes, Harry, I’m fully aware. Do you want to improve or not?”

Harry sighed, guiding Draco around the room as the music started again. He looked everywhere except his face, tripping over his own feet.

“Ah, I see what your problem is now. You don’t know what to do when you have to dance with a partner.” Draco stated, watching a shade of pink rising from Harry’s neck.

“Yes, I don’t like dancing with someone else. Where do I look? Should I talk? How do I know we’re on the same page?” Harry replied, still trying to dance without dragging Draco onto the ground.

“Look, you’re overthinking this.” Draco stopped both of them, music still quietly playing throughout the room. “How about we swap, give you an idea of how you’re _meant_ to move. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to and you just need to look at me.”

Harry didn’t say anything but nodded, moving his hand from Draco’s waist and onto his shoulder. Draco did the same, making sure there was enough space to adjust his grip on Harry’s waist if he needed to.

“You’re not leading, so this might feel a bit odd. Just focus on the music, you’ll know when to move.”

The pair started moving, Draco softly leading Harry around the room. He moved slowly to ensure that Harry had gotten his footing right, lightly stepping on his foot when he kept looking down.

“Look at me, not your feet.” Draco said, nudging Harry’s foot for the fifth time in a row.

“But looking at you is awkward.” Harry replied, looking up to meet Draco’s grey eyes.

“It’s only awkward if you make it. See, you’re looking at me right now.” Draco spoke softly, searching Harry’s emerald eyes despite knowing exactly how he felt. Both of them could feel the softly bubbling pool, giving off steam and a soft scent of lavender, so warm, so inviting. It’s okay to climb in, right?

“Well, it’s rude not to look at you when you’re talking.” Harry subconsciously moved closer to Draco, feeling the warmth of their magic radiating off of his body.

“Then talk to me.” Draco said simply, also moving closer to Harry.

“About what?” Harry asked, tuning out the music and picking up the rhythm just from Draco’s movements.

“Well, I don’t know. Anything.” Draco moved his hand to the small of Harry’s back, pulling him even closer. Harry’s eyes flicked down to Draco’s lips as he talked, feeling his partner’s heartbeat in time with his.

“You know, we don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.” Harry was almost _leaning_ into Draco’s touch, unsure if they were still moving.

“And what would we do instead?” Draco asked.

Harry though for a moment before answering Draco’s question. He jumped into the pool of Draco’s emotions, leaning up and softly planting their lips together. Harry didn't expect anything else, so he was surprised when Draco fell willingly into the pool, reciprocating the kiss.

Their lips moved perfectly against each other, almost as if it was meant to me. Was it the bond? Was this feeling real? None of that mattered. They soaked up the warmth the other provided, living this moment like it was their last. Draco pulled Harry flush against his chest, using his free hand to softly cradle the boy’s face. Harry felt weak when Draco traced his finger behind his ear over the spot he so very liked, lightly tugging his hair in return.

Just as he felt he was about to melt into a puddle Harry broke the kiss, pushing Draco away. Both boys stood a couple feet apart, staring at each other in complete shock as they breathed heavily.

Draco softly reached his fingers up to his lips that still tingled despite the loss of contact. “Harry-”

Harry stumbled back, eyes growing wide. “I...I’m sorry,” was all he could mutter out before leaving the room in embarrassment. He had just given his first kiss to Draco Malfoy and not knowing how to react, he ran.

\----------

Harry hid under the covers of his bed, gripping the sides of his head. What had he just done? Draco’s panic blended into his own, the lines between them becoming more and more blurred. That kiss had broken every wall that separated the pair, feeling less like their own person and more like a part of each other, a feeling that scared Harry.

“Mate, ‘Mione said you just rushed up here. Is everything okay?” Ron pulled back the covers, worried as to what could have overwhelmed his friend. He gasped, noticing the redness and slight swelling on Harry’s lips. “Please don’t tell me you weren't just doing what I thought you were doing.”

“If the answer is snogging someone I shouldn’t be then you’re 100% correct.” Harry replied, hiding his face in his hands.

“Was it Cho Chang?” Seamus piped up, earning a right slap from Dean.

“Can’t have been. It’s gotta be a bloke from that kind of guilt, guessing he’s from another house if we haven’t figured out who yet.” Dean replied.

“Would you two shut the hell up?!” Ron not-so-kindly told the pair on the other side of the room, who were now quietly hatching a plan to find the brave soul that took Harry Potter off the market.

“Well, you gonna take them to the Yule Ball next week?” Ron asked, purposefully avoiding the gender of the person in question because, unfortunately, he believed that Dean and Seamus might be on to something.

“No. I think I’ll just get turned down. I’m planning on asking Luna anyway, she’s a good friend that won’t judge my questionable dancing skills.” Harry replied, taking his hands away from his face to look at Ron.

“Damn, Harry! You really got some action!” Seamus said, only quieting down when he received a death stare from Ron.

“Please, just, don’t tell anyone?” Harry asked the three boys in the room with him. They all nodded.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, although, I might need to tell Mione if you don't,” Ron said softly, smiling at his friend.

“It’s okay. I’ll go talk to her now.” Harry went to stand up before he was pushed back into the mattress by Ron.

“Might want to wait till you look a little less snogged, mate.”


	8. The Heartbreak Ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a shorter one today but we're bringing the angst and emotions.

The night everyone was waiting for had finally arrived. December 25, Christmas, the Yule Ball.

Harry stood outside the entrance with all the other champions and their dates, waiting for Luna to arrive. Harry didn’t know what he was most anxious about, dancing in front of everyone of the fact that he can’t avoid Draco for much longer.

“Good evening, Harry.” A soothing voice floated into Harry’s ears, making him smile.

“Good evening, Luna. Are you ready to show off your amazing dancing skills?” Harry asked. She nodded in response. 

Luna had a fashion sense unlike any other and her dress choice certainly reflected that. It was a poofy, iridescent dress the colour of a unicorn’s horn, covered in matching ruffles. She had selected her favourite pair of butterbeer cork earrings and even managed to find a pair of nice shoes that hadn't been nicked by another student. Her wand sat happily behind her ear where it always sat, a lovely colour match to her earrings. Most people thought she looked utterly ridiculous but Harry thought that she wouldn’t look better in any other outfit.

“Luna, you look wonderful. That dress suits you perfectly.” Hermione smiled fondly at Luna.

“Why, thank you. It’s my favourite.” Luna replied. Hermione nodded in response.

“She’s right, you do look amazing.” Harry added, holding out a hand to his friend. Luna gladly took it, entering the Great Hall with a smile Harry would remember with great joy.

The first dance was nerve wracking, Harry thankful that he didn’t tip or stumble once. He found his seat as soon as it was done, sipping on his butterbeer as he observed everyone around him. Some people were laughing, others were dancing. There was so much joy in the room and yet, he didn’t feel any of it.

Harry’s green eyes casually searched the room before meeting a pair of grey ones. It was Draco, looking right back at him. Warmth spread through Harry’s body, his heart rate picking up as he couldn’t look away. Draco looked, well, amazing. His dress robes were crisp and black in colour, it fit him perfectly too, all the curves and edges of the suit matching the contours of his body. His hair wasn’t obnoxiously gelled back either, it suited him. All Harry wanted to do was to rush over to Draco and apologize for kissing him, for stepping over his boundaries, but he didn’t. Harry stayed glued to his seat, wallowing in his own guilt. Asking for Draco’s forgiveness was a lost cause, Harry had already hurt him.

“Do you want me to talk to him?” Luna took her seat next to Harry, looking between both her torn friends. She knew something had happened, something that hurt both boys, something that would cause them to avoid each other. “I know you want to tell him something.”

Harry thought for a moment. Was it worth the risk to send a message to Draco, even if it was a small one? He looked at Luna, eyes sparkling with a warmth that made Harry feel okay. “Can you tell him that he looks nice tonight?”

“Of course.” Luna replied, making her way over to Draco. Harry also got up, walking over to where Ron and Hermione stood.

“Seriously?! Victor Krum?! Your date is Victor Krum?!” Ron was clearly upset with Hermione who was also feeling a little angry.

“So what if he is, do you have a problem with that?” Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, she thought Ron was being ridiculous. 

“He’s the enemy, Mione. Why would you go on a date with the enemy?!” Heat was rising in between the pair and poor Harry had seemed to plant himself right in the middle.

“Because, Ronald, Victor has been kind to me and actually had the guts to ask me out!” Hermione wasn’t going to let herself cry over something as silly as this, but her eyes were starting to well up.

“Is that how you see me? Some gutless coward?!” Ron had finally had enough, Hermione had really hit a nerve and he was truly done.

“Yes, Ronald! That’s exactly what you are! You’re mad at Victor for actually doing something you were too scared to even try!” Hermione had reached her breaking point, storming off as a steady stream of tears stained her face. Harry turned to Ron, blood boiling and ears steaming.

“What the hell was that?!” Harry demanded. Seeing Hermione get so upset was one thing but the fact that it was Ron who had tipped it over the edge did not sit well with Harry at all. Hermione was one of the strongest people he knew and he had  _ never  _ seen her cry like that in his life.

“You saw what she was doing! She came as Krum’s date.” Ron’s face was almost the same colour as his hair.

“Of course she’s Krum’s date, he asked her!” Harry was starting to understand why Hermione became so upset, being attacked like that by someone you consider a friend would be heartbreaking.

“But you’re competing against him! He’s the enemy!”

“That’s got nothing to do with this! You hurt Hermione, how could you do that to her? She has  _ always  _ stood by your side and this is how you thank her?!”

“Why are  _ you  _ defending her?! Are you fraternizing with the enemy too?!”

Harry froze. If Ron was this mad because Hermione’s date was Victor how would he react if he found out about Draco?

“This isn’t about me Ron, this is about you. You seriously need to sort yourself out.” Harry walked away from Ron, not caring to hear what he was saying.

\----------

When Harry got back to the common room he was greeted by a heartbreaking sight. Hermione was seated on the floor, so upset that she couldn’t even make it back to her dorm. She had wrapped her arms around herself, head bowed as she sobbed in the empty room. She was hurting, hurting more than Harry had even seen. Hermione had always been so strong, so brave. She was loyal to a fault, never leaving Harry or Ron’s sides even if it meant taking the brute of the force, hell, she even punched Draco Malfoy back in third year. Seeing Hermione like this, so broken, so helpless, well, it was enough to make Harry cry, and Harry  _ never  _ cried. He slid down to the floor, rouge tears leaking from his own eyes as he pulled Hermione into his arms. She sobbed into his shoulder, clutching his robes as if he were an anchor. 

“He’s an absolute prick. He shouldn’t have said that, not to you.” Harry whispered, rubbing small circles into Hermione’s back. She was shaking harder than a leaf in a storm, unable to catch her breath as she hyperventilated. 

“But...but he..he said i...it any...anyway.” Hermione managed to say between sobs.

“I know, I know.” Harry whispered, pulling Hermione tight against his body. “Sometimes you love someone to the point where it hurts, and you get so lost in your emotions that you don’t know what to do, you start to drown. How about we get you cleaned up? You can hop into something comfortable and ask Dobby to join us for some hot chocolate, or you can climb straight into bed instead.”

Hermione didn’t say anything but nodded in response. Harry stood up, pulling Hermione up with him. He walked her up to the girl’s dorm (the stairs granting him a special exception and not turning into a slide) and sat her down on her bed. She pulled her pajamas out from under her pillow, making her way over to the bathroom to get changed. When she came back out and sat down Harry could really see how hurt she was, her eyes were red and bloodshot, her face spotchy and her cheek were stained by mascara streaks. Harry took a damp cloth from Hermione’s hands, slowly and carefully wiping her face. He made sure to keep his touch light, slowly but surely taking off her makeup to reveal the pink skin underneath.

“Harry, I’m tired. I think I’ll just sleep.” Hermione said quietly once Harry had finished with the cloth. He nodded in response.

“Okay. We can talk in the morning, if you like.”

Hermione crawled under the covers, pulling the blankets up around her body. “Thank you, Harry.” was all that she whispered out before falling asleep, so upset that she had tired herself out. 

Harry made his way back to his own dorm, changing out of his dress robes quickly so that he could be in bed before everyone made it back. He lay under the covers for a few minutes, mind blank as he stared into the blackness above him. He climbed into the warm pool in the back of his mine once again, feeling a sense of ease as he drifted off to sleep.


	9. Keep Your Friends Close...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait, wanted to make sure I was happy with the chapter quality. I do hope you are pleased with the quality with this chapter and feedback is much appreciated. Enjoy!

Harry woke slowly, eyes adjusting to the bright light to the crisp winter sun. After the whole ordeal with the Yule Ball, all he wanted to do was stay in bed just for that little bit longer, but after noticing a small black box next to his glasses he thought that maybe, just maybe, he’ll get to breakfast at a decent time.

Harry took the box, turning it over in his hands before opening it. Inside the box sat a single snitch wing attached to a matching gold chain, glistening and glittering in the sunlight that streamed in through the windows. Harry smiled to himself for he knew exactly who this gift was from but soon felt an overwhelming guilt sneak in. Why would Draco give him a Christmas gift when he hurt him so badly?

\----------

The rest of Christmas Break was highly uneventful for Harry who had spent the two weeks playing Wizard’s Chess with Ron and avoiding Hermione’s attempts to study for the Second Task, he was on break after all. It wasn’t until the first week of term when the drama started up again. The Slytherins and the Gryffindors were on their way to lunch after potions when Ronald Weasley decided to poke a very short stick into the very unhappy Draco Malfoy.

“What’s wrong with you? Mummy not buy you enough presents?” Ron snarked.

“Go away, Weasley,” Draco muttered. He wasn’t in the mood for any kind of confrontation.

“Huh, I could’ve  _ sworn _ I heard you say something,” Ron replied, poking the stick further into the bear’s backside.

“Ron, stop.” Harry butted in, grabbing Ron’s arm.

“What’s it to you, Harry? This is the perfect time to attack, I mean, just look at him!” Ron shrugged Harry’s hand off his shoulder, gesturing to Draco who looked like he wanted to disappear.

“We’re better than this. We shouldn’t be ones to start fights and that includes kicking a man when he’s down.” Harry looked at Draco, emotions instantly mixing. Guilt, anger and sadness fought for dominance within the pair, all three emotions threatening to burst out of the birdcage that trapped them. Harry and Draco had spent the last three weeks trying to keep the other’s emotions at bay but seeing each other now? It’s safe to say that no one will know who’ll break first.

“This is Malfoy we’re talking about. Don’t tell me that you’re defending him.” Ron pushed his finger into Harry’s chest.

“It’s not fair to fight with someone who is too weak to fight back.” Harry could feel a wave of uncontrollable anger rising from his chest, fighting to get out, fighting to win.

“Oh, so you feel bad for him now?!” Ron yelled. A small huddle had formed around the boys for they haven’t fought like this before, not with this level of anger and emotion behind it. It was certainly a sight to see.

“So what if I am! We’ve put Draco through  _ more _ than enough pain, we can’t keep pushing him!” Harry snapped. There was only one thread holding back his anger, becoming more and more frayed with each passing second.

“Why are you all  _ buddy-buddy _ with him all of a sudden? Draco Malfoy is  _ not  _ your friend!”

That was the last straw for Harry, the thread had snapped, the cage had burst open. He had had  _ enough _ . “Well, at least he would be a better friend than you!”

A heavy silence hung in the air. Draco’s eyes flew open, staring at Harry’s angry, shaking form in complete shock. He could feel everything, Harry’s anger, his rage, his worry, these emotions were so strong that they threatened to overtake him, intoxicating him with the overwhelming bliss that it would provide him. Should he fall back in,  _ even _ if he thought it would be bad for him? Was he willing to take that risk just to feel whole again? 

Harry flicked his eyes over to Draco, to check if he was okay, but just for a moment and nothing more. All the rage left his eyes in a heartbeat, furious emerald flames calming to a flicker of concern. And just as quickly as Harry looked at Draco he left, Hermione not too far behind.

“Are you okay?” Hermione asked her friend. 

“I don’t know,” Harry replied. Now he hadn’t just hurt Draco, but Ron too. Could this year get any worse?

“Well, I think you did the right thing. If Malfoy is leaving us alone then it’s only fair that we do the same.” Hermione said, gripping her books close to her chest. “I’m confused as to why he would change his behaviour, I don’t think he’s actually insulted any of us since the start of the year.”

“Maybe he grew out of his bratty ways for once,” Harry replied, the blond’s face burned into his mind.

\----------

Harry was walking from lunch when he was suddenly pulled into a small, dark cupboard. A cool hand was held over his lips as a voice spoke for the darkness.

“We need to talk.” Harry knew that voice from anywhere. It was Draco’s. Draco slowly pulled his hand away from Harry’s face, holding him close the small space around them.

“Fine. What do you want to talk about?” Harry replied, resting his head on the side of the hollow cupboard. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t avoid the fact that his body was pressed up against Draco’s, hands resting on the taller boy’s chest. He tried moving his hands to rest at his side but there really wasn’t any room.

“You kissed me only to completely avoid me for weeks after,” Draco said, tracing small circles the small of Harry’s back to calm his nerves. “You rejected me again, Harry. You rejected me then defended me. I’m tired of these mixed signals. I know you’re not happy about this, so why are you pushing me away?”

“I kissed you without thinking,” Harry gripped Draco’s free hand. “I kissed you without asking if it was what you wanted, I crossed a line that I never intended to. I care about you, Draco and people who I care about get hurt the most. I thought that if I put distance between us then you couldn’t get hurt, that you would be safe.”

“Harry, pushing me away has only hurt us more than any danger that could exist.” Draco softly stroked the back of Harry’s hand. “I chose to return that kiss and was hurt when you left. Don’t you see that I care too?”

“I just didn’t want to hurt you,” Harry whispered into the darkness. “The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you and that’s exactly what I did.”

“I’m not the only one hurting, I can feel your pain too.” Draco placed his forehead against Harry’s, bathing in the warmth he so very much missed. “You need to take better care of yourself, Harry. You’ve been beating yourself up over one silly kiss, completely forgetting that you weren’t guilty, you were upset.”

“I’m sorry, Draco. I’m so, so sorry.” Harry whispered.

“It’s okay, I forgive you.” Draco felt his lips stretch into a soft smile. “There’s just one thing I need to know, can we try again?”

“Try what again?” Harry asked.

Draco didn’t say anything but rather closed the gap between their lips, the warmth on contact sending sparks throughout Harry’s body. Feeling far braver than he was before he slid his hand up to rest on Draco’s cheek, moving his lips slowly yet firmly. All the pain from the last few weeks suddenly washed away as Harry slipped back into the warm, bubbling water he had spent so long trying to avoid. He missed Draco, he missed his voice, his touch, he missed  _ all _ of him.

Draco pulled Harry flush against his body, trying to commit his scent to memory. He smelt of chocolate, wood chips and apple-scented shampoo. He tasted like the pumpkin juice had had with lunch and he felt like, well, he felt like home.

Harry pulled away first, catching his breath as he rested his head in the crook of Draco’s neck. They stood still for a moment, enjoying the other’s warmth in the darkness of the small cupboard.

“Can I ask you something?” Harry whispered into Draco’s warm, soft skin.

“Go ahead,” Draco replied.

“I think I might know how to crack the clue for the second task, but I need your help.”

“My help? Why not get Weasley or Granger to help you?”

“I don’t think Ron is very happy with me at the moment and the location is a little awkward to go to with Hermione.”

“Why would it be awkward?” Draco ran his hands along Harry’s spine, causing him to shiver. “I know she likes to stick to the rules but she’s never had a problem sneaking into places in the past.”

“It’s the Prefects’ bathroom.” Harry buried his face into Draco’s skin, trying to hide from the blush rising from his neck.

“Well, Potter,” Draco smirked. “Already trying to get my clothes off on the first date? How bold of you.” Draco slipped a hand from Harry’s back and placed it behind his ear, tracing circles into the skin with a feather-light touch. Harry shivered before pushing Draco away.

“I’ve got stuff I need to do. I’ll meet you there Friday, midnight. Don’t be late.” Harry opened the door, squinting from the sudden light change. He took a hard right, making his way towards Charms classroom, a wide grin present on his very snogged lips.

\----------

“Hello, Harry.” Luna made her way across the grass to where Harry sat, Hermione on one arm and Ginny on the other.

“Is something wrong?” Harry asked the three girls, placing his book down in his lap. “Should I be worried? You’re all in a line.”

“My idiot brother is avoiding you once again, a sure-fire sign that you are in need of supportive friends,” Ginny replied, snatching the book from Harry’s lap and putting it into his bag. “No distractions.”

“This the second big fight you’ve had with Ron in four months, I’m really worried about you, Harry.” Hermione took a seat next to him. “You’re not talking to Ron, you keep disappearing and there was a serious amount of tension when you defended Malfoy yesterday. This tournament is taking a serious toll on your mental health and you won’t take care of yourself.”

Harry sat quietly, looking over at Luna for reassurance. She was the only person who truly knew the full story and all the ins and outs of the magic involved. She nodded in response, eyes twinkling with encouragement. 

“Guys, I’m fine,” Harry replied, picking at the grass. “I’ve almost figured out what the second task is and Ron will come around eventually, he just needs some time to cool off.

All three girls looked at Harry, not convinced that he was telling the truth. He was hiding something, trying to protect someone.

“Look, we know you’re not telling us something.” Ginny piped up, crossing her arms across her chest. “But it’s clear that pushing you won’t get us anywhere. Just, remember that we’re all here for you whenever you need. Now, I’m off to pinch a certain someone by the ear.”

Ginny trotted off towards the castle, long red hair flowing behind her in the breeze. Hermione turned her attention back to Harry, frown present on her dark features.

“I’m not entirely convinced either. I can tell that you’ve been chasing some poor girl in your free time because you’re stressed but this has gone too far. I don’t want a girl getting herself attached to you overall this only for you to drop her once you’re feeling better.”

“Oh, no!” Harry’s eyes flew open. “It’s nothing like that! I’ve just made a new friend this year, that’s all.”

“Luna, is he telling the truth?” Hermione asked the blonde who nodded in return. She paused for a moment, thinking before talking again. “It’s Malfoy, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Harry whispered, bowing his head. “How’d you figure it out?”

“Ron is really touchy about the idea of working with the enemy at the moment and I noticed that the biggest fight you’ve had with him was about Malfoy.” Hermione pushed her bushy hair out of her face, placing a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “How long?”

“Just after Halloween.”

“You’ve been visiting him almost every day. I’m worried, Harry. He could be a bad influence of your already struggling mental health. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I’m not hurt, far from it actually. I’ve been feeling much better from being on good terms with Draco, we’ve been learning to understand not just ourselves but also each other.” 

“But this is Malfoy we’re talking about. Why would you want to be friends with him?”

“I didn’t.” Harry looked up at Luna before turning to Hermione. “There was a bit of a mishap in Charms back in September, it was the Rope Binding charm.”

“Soul binding!” Hermione gasped. “You bound your soul and magic to his! But, the only time that’s ever happened was when-”

“Was when Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were concealing their secret relationship, I know.” Harry cut in. “It was never confirmed but we don’t care about their bond, we care about ours.”

“Harry, this is some of the most unique magic to ever exist!” Hermione was getting excited, but she was always like that when learning something new. “Do you share your magic with him?”

“No, they have the same magic,” Luna said, smiling over at Harry. “Some people have similar magic but never identical. I have hypotheses that their magical abilities have possibly doubled since they hold a perfect combination of their existing magic.”

“Wow,” Hermione whispered to herself. “I’ve got to go, I need to write this all down.” She rushed back into the castle, almost vibrating with excitement.

“I don’t know how Draco’ll feel about this,” Harry sighed, running a hand through his thick locks. “We were keeping this a secret for a reason.”

“It’s only Hermione,” Luna said, soft voice floating through the air. “She won’t tell anyone, I think he’ll understand that if you tell him. He values communication, just talk with him.”

“Thanks, Luna.” Harry smiled at his kind-hearted friend. “You’re an absolute miracle.”


	10. ...But Your Enemies Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boyz'n'Bubbles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to this mess of a fic. Read and enjoy my friends, read and enjoy.
> 
> CONTENT WARNING: MENTION OF SELF HARM AND ABUSE

“Real nice of you to give me the password, Potter.” Harry found Draco standing outside the entrance to the Prefects’ bathroom, arms crossed across his chest and foot-tapping impatiently.

“Sorry, it slipped my mind,” Harry replied, tucking his invisibility cloak and golden egg under his arm. The boys hadn’t seen each other since the encounter in the cupboard, they had been so wrapped up in everything else in their lives that they haven’t had the chance. 

“Well, are you going to let us in?” Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, sorry,” Harry replied. “Pine fresh.”

The door to the bathroom slid open, revealing a grand, spacious room of beautiful white marble and white linen curtains. In the centre of the room was a glorious candle-lit chandelier, illuminating the large, swimming pool-like bathtub below. The tub itself was sunk into the floor, lined with various gold faucets, each encrusted with a gemstone of some kind. Maybe bringing Draco here was a bad idea. 

Harry twisted one of the golden faucets, lavender scented bubbles coating the surface of the water. He dipped his hand in for a moment, testing the water. Satisfied with the temperature he began unbuttoning his night-shirt.

“Please tell me you brought swim trunks,” Draco said, also mirroring Harry’s actions.

“Of course.” Harry rolled his eyes, shrugging the cotton fabric shirt off his shoulders. “Why? Disappointed?”

“Oh, calm your snitch, Potter,” Draco replied, sliding down his trousers to reveal the swim trunks underneath. “We’re not there just yet.”

Draco made his way over to Harry, hooking his finger under the golden chain around his neck. “I didn’t think you’d wear it.”

“It was a kind gift. Why wouldn’t I wear it?” Harry responded, stepping into the tub only to be swallowed by water and bubbles. Draco followed suit, although with a bit more grace, enjoying the warmth of the water surrounding him.

“Oh, have I been left out of date night?” a ghoulish voice asked.

Harry and Draco both swallowed a considerable amount of bubbles in shock. Who had also snuck into the bathroom to catch them together? The answer was a glum young girl, sitting cross-legged on one of the taps.

“Merlin! What are you doing in here, Myrtle?” Harry said, looking at the ghost.

“I can go through _all_ the pipes in the school, Harry. I can go to any bathroom I would like.” Myrtle replied, swinging her legs into the water without really touching it.

“But why are you in _this_ bathroom?” Draco raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar ghost.

“Because it’s not every day that you catch Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy sneaking into the Prefects’ bathroom, you know.” Myrtle crossed her arms over her chest, grumbling at the two boys.

“Look, Myrtle. My answer hasn’t changed.” Harry said, pulling himself to the side of the pool to grab the egg. “Dating a ghost just isn’t feasible. I’m sorry.”

“Wait, you know her? Like, actually know her?” Draco asked, turning to face Harry.

“Um, yeah. Kinda used her bathroom as a hideout back in second year.” Harry replied, swimming back over to Draco.

“When everyone thought you were the heir of Slytherin?” Draco asked. Harry didn’t reply but rather nodded.

“I would try putting that under the water if I were you,” Myrtle said. “That’s what the other boy did.”

“Okay, thanks, Myrtle,” Harry replied, turning to the ghost. “Draco and I would rather be alone, but I can talk to you another time if you want.”

“No, no. It’s fine. My u-bend is far nicer than conversing with someone.” Myrtle flew back into the faucet without another word, making her way back to the abandoned girls bathroom.

“Well, should we give it a go?” Draco asked.

“I don’t see why not,” Harry replied.

Both boys took a deep breath in before ducking under the water, Harry twisting open the top of the egg to reveal the sounds of singing voices.

_Come seek us where our voices sound, we cannot sing above the ground, and while you’re searching, ponder this: we’ve taken what you’ll sorely miss, an hour-long you’ll have to look and to recover what we took, but past an hour - the prospect’s black too late, it’s gone, it won’t come back._

“Can’t sing above the ground.” Harry pondered to himself. “Draco, what creatures live in the Black Lake besides the giant squid?”

“Lots of things, I assume,” Draco replied, calmly treading the water. “If this is a creature that sings then it must be human-like. Humans are the only beings that are able to sing.”

“Human-like,” Harry whispered to himself, thinking for a moment before speaking again. “Do you think there could be merpeople in the lake?”

“It’s entirely possible.” Draco swam closer to Harry, pushing aside bubbles as he did so. “An hour to find something that you’ll miss, do you have any idea what they might take from you?”

“Not a clue.” Harry swam back to the ledge of the tub, putting down the egg before making his way back to Draco. “The most important thing is that I know where the next task is and what I’m up against. I don’t think it’s the end of the world if I can’t figure out what’s taken in time.”

“It is if you take too long to find it.”

“I’m Harry Potter. It’ll be easy compared to what I’ve done in the past.” Harry joked, pushing his arm into Draco’s

“The past? What even happened over the years?” Draco asked,voice laced with concern. He hadn’t found Harry’s joke funny at all.

“Well, defeated Voldemort twice, killed a basilisk, freed a wanted criminal. I don’t even think that’s the end of the list.” Harry replied. Draco’s eyes widened in shock. 

“When did all this happen?”

“Oh, so our DADA professor back in first year had Voldemort’s soul attached to him, the basilisk was what prettified all those students in second year, and it turns out the Sirius Black was my Dad’s best friend but was framed by their other friend, Peter, who gave away their location on Voldemort. Oh, and he was also Ron’s pet rat.”

“All that in the span of three years?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“That’s...that’s a lot, Harry. How are you okay with all of this?”

“I’m _The Chosen One_ , I don’t have much of a choice. I’m the saviour of the wizarding world whether I like it or not.”

“But that can’t be good for you.”

“I’ve dealt with worse.” Harry shrugged.

“What could be worse than fighting the most feared wizard in history?”

“Having that wizard murder you parents in front of your eyes only to be forced to live with the worst uncle and aunt in history!” Harry slapped his hands over his mouth. He didn’t mean to yell, he didn’t mean to say that, not to Draco.

“Harry-”

“No, don’t worry about it.” Harry shook his head, unable to meet Draco’s eyes. “I shouldn’t be complaining. They’ve given me a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, taught me how to cook and clean. Some people have it worse than me.”

“What did they do to you?”

“I-”

“What did they do to you?” Draco asked softly. “Please, Harry. You can’t keep pushing me away.”

“I slept in a closet for 9 years, I had to do all the chores and only got to eat leftovers.” Harry rambled out quickly, breath catching in his throat. Draco must think he’s weak and useless, he must be disappointed. 

Draco was stunned to the point of silence. There was a storm brewing in his chest, a combination of sadness, guilt and untamed rage. He had been treating Harry like crap for so long, not even realising the true extent of his pain. His own family didn’t love him and the only ones who did died because of it.

The two boys sat in silence before Draco piped up again.

“Look, I’m really sorry that I caused you to fall out with Weasley, you shouldn’t have to lose your best friend all because you wanted to defend me.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Draco,” Harry replied, taking one for Draco’s hands in his own. “Almost all of Ron’s brothers have achieved great things while at Hogwarts. Even though his parents love and care for him he still puts himself under stress to be like his brothers, to make his parents proud even though he doesn’t need to prove himself to them. He can be a bit of a hothead sometimes but I’ll always forgive him, it’s really not his fault.”

Harry noticed that Draco had suddenly become very quiet. He squeezed his hand and pulled him in closer. “What’s on your mind?”

“It’s just that my Father has been so stressed this year, I feel that it’s my fault because I’m not living up to his expectations. I know he loves me but he just seems so distant. I didn’t think that Weasley would be feeling that same constant feeling of not being enough, his family left the Sacred Twenty-Eight after all.”

“Draco, you’ve always been a bit of a prat but your grades have never slipped and you’re well-liked within your house. I think your father is proud of you and all that you’ve achieved. The Ministry has been quite busy this year so I’m not surprised that he would be stressed. He might grow distant but he won’t love you any less.” Harry planted a soft kiss on Draco’s temple, pulling his arm above the water and running his fingertips over the pink scars. “Is that why you did this? The feeling of not being enough?”

“He didn’t spend any of the summer or Christmas break with me, he’s never done that before.” Draco allowed himself to melt into Harry’s embrace, feeling the warmth and comfort the other boy provided.

“Draco, you’re avoiding the question.” Harry softly turned Draco’s face to meet his own, green and grey meeting in a way that sent sparks flying through their veins. “Did you hurt yourself because you felt that you weren’t enough?”

Draco fell quiet once again, resting his head in the crock of Harry’s neck. For the first time he felt that he was enough, someone loved him for who he is, no more or no less. He didn’t want to dwell on the bad but rather enjoy the peace that Harry brought into his life (quite ironically since he seemed to be a Dark Magic magnet).

“Look, no matter what happens with your dad from this point forward I will be there for you. You will _always_ be enough for me and our magic reflects that. We didn’t choose to become connected but we chose to understand each other.” Harry placed another kiss onto Draco’s temple, slowly running his fingers through his wet, blond locks.

“There’s something else you’re not telling me, I can feel it,” Draco whispered quietly. “Is it bad? Is that why you won’t tell me?”

Draco was right, there _was_ something that Harry wasn’t telling him. Harry’s scared to tell Draco that Hermione knows about their bond, he didn’t want to hurt and lose him again. He’s scared of what would happen if Draco became upset and angry with him.

“Mione spoke with me after my big fight with Ron, she knew there was something going on between us because of how I defended you.” Harry whispered, not wanting to disturb the quiet that surrounded Draco and himself. “I told her about the bond before she had the chance to milk it out of me. I can assure you that she won’t tell anyone, she values my privacy and it’s fair to assume she’ll do the same for you. She might be a teacher’s pet but she’s not a tattle-tail.”

“It’s okay, I trust her.” 

“Really? You do?”

“If you trust her then I do too.” Draco's warm lips lightly brushed against Harry’s damp skin as he talked, causing both boys to feel sparks travel along their necks. “You weren’t lying in first year when you said you can tell the wrong sort of person for yourself.”

“Look, Harry, we really can’t talk about my problems and just push yours to the side.” Draco started, moving his head so he could look Harry in the eye. “There’s something wrong and if we’re going to make this work then we need to know how to support each other but I can’t do that if you won’t let me in.”

“I...I can’t, Draco.” Harry whispered, trying to escape Draco’s gaze. “Not...not now. I don’t think I can tell you, I’m just not ready.”

Draco softly stroked Harry’s cheek, sensing the pot of bubbling emotions Harry was feeling. Sadness, guilt, fear, he was on the brink of breaking and Draco truly didn’t want that to happen.

“Okay, we don’t have to talk about it, but we can’t keep avoiding this forever.” Draco tucked a single, wet curl behind Harry’s ear. “We’re going to have to talk about this eventually, but I’m happy to wait until you’re ready.”

Harry didn’t say anything in response but rather shared a sad smile with Draco. Maybe, just maybe, things might turn out okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter to remain in one location? Who would've thunk it!


	11. Breathless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to clear this up before you dive into this chapter, everything is based on Harry's POV with the exception of the tasks, which I've written in Draco's POV since we all know what happens during the task. I wanted to story to hold the same essence as the books, so I felt this was the best way to do so. Hope this helps.
> 
> I would also like to thank TheGhostOfGays for his amazing work as my beta, I couldn't have put out such great content without him.

The anxiety Draco felt before the first task was nothing compared to this. There were two possibilities of what could happen today, Harry could make it out of the lake safe and sound or both of them could choke as Harry drowned. He really didn’t like the sound of the second one.

“Dear Merlin, Draco. What in the world has got your knickers into a twist today?” Blaise asked the mildly panicked boy.

“I will be very upset if Potter dies today. If he drowns then I can’t watch!” Draco replied, eyes desperately searching the lake’s surface. Harry was unsurprisingly late but just as anxious as Draco.

“Goodness, Draco. You can be so incredibly morbid at times.” Pansy commented, also looking down at the lake. “Oh, look.  _ Golden Boy  _ has finally made his grand arrival.”

Harry was seen skidding to a halt on the lake’s bank, splattering mud over Fluer’s robes. There were a few moments of what could be assumed as conversation before Bagman’s voice filled the air.

“Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One...two... _ three _ !”

A shrill whistle sounded in the cold air, followed by thunderous applause. The four champions made their way into the water while  _ Harry Freaking Potter  _ took his sweet damn time wading into the lake.

Draco suddenly felt as if an invisible pillow had been clamped down over his nose and mouth, clawing at his neck and the burning, dizzying feeling worsened. He looked down at the lake, head still spinning, noticing Harry seemed to mirror his own actions.

“Draco! Draco, are you okay?!” Pansy panicked when she noticed Draco’s pale lips turning into a light shade of blue.

Draco took a sudden breath in, the burning feeling in his chest subsiding. The lake was now empty, no one seen in the water.  _ Damn Gillyweed. _

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just forgot to breathe for a moment.” Draco replied, shaking Pansy’s hand from his arm.

“Forgot to breathe?” Blaise raised an eyebrow, seemingly unconvinced by Draco’s excuse.

“I’m just stressed, okay?!” Draco snapped, the surrounding Slytherins retreating.

“Geez, mate. Sorry.” Blaise said quietly.

The next hour took forever to pass, Draco’s anxiety rising by the second. Fleur, Krum, Diggory, Chang and Granger had all made it out of the lake. They all went into overtime and there was still no Harry to be seen. 

Draco could feel his arms and legs throb heavily, no doubt from Harry’s constant swimming when that sick, dizzy feeling returned. He knew what it was, he knew what was happening. Harry was drowning and there was nothing they could do about it. His lungs burned for oxygen as he huddled over, hoping, no, praying, that Harry could somehow find a way out of the depths of the Black Lake.

Draco had almost passed out when air greeted his lungs again, coughing in between breaths as he grinned in relief. Harry made it out, he was okay. They were both okay.

“That’s it. I don’t care what you have to say but you’re going to the infirmary,  _ now. _ ” Pansy spoke sternly while Blaise hauled Draco over his shoulder.

\----------

Draco was on his way to the Room of Requirement when he bumped into Ron and Hermione on the stairs. He had been meaning to talk to them and there was no better time than the present.

“Granger, Weasley. It’s good to see you.”

“Likewise,” Hermione replied, receiving an odd look for Ron. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you, actually. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for being so judgemental of you, it seems that you and Harry have changed each other for the better.”

“Thank you, Granger. I’m grateful that we’ve managed to find mutual ground. I too am sorry for the way I’ve treated you over the years, so a right punch is in order if I ever mess up again. You throw a good hook.” Draco, smiled, turning his attention to Ron. “And I’m also sorry for the way I’ve treated you, you haven’t done anything to deserve such bullying from me, I was jealous and a complete prat.”

Ron didn’t say anything in reply but tipped his head in acknowledgement. That was more than enough for now.

Draco made his way towards the seventh floor, waiting as the grand door made an appearance beside him. He stepped inside to see Harry lounging on the couch not too far from the door, one arm resting under his nest of dark, unruly hair as he threw a small ball into the air and caught it again. He turned his head to look at Draco, emerald eyes sparkling as he got up to approach the boy. 

“You really scared me today,” Draco whispered, wrapping his arms around Harry’s body and resting their foreheads together.

“I know, I’m sorry.” Harry sighed, all of the day’s stress melting away.

“You were ill-prepared today, you weren’t thinking about your safety and I was terrified of losing you the moment I couldn’t breathe. You almost drowned, I almost lost you.”

“I know, I was just having a little trouble with the clue, but at least I figured it out in the end.”

“Yeah, and you were almost too late.” Draco moved a hand to cup Harry’s face, softly stroking his thumb over the other boy’s cheek. “You never ask for help with anything, you’re constantly stressed over things that could be solved with just a little mindfulness. Why don’t you ever let me help you?”

“I do, you helped me figure out the clue, remember?”

“Yes, but there were so many times before that when you could’ve asked, but you didn’t.” Draco paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing. “We can’t keep these kinds of things from each other, we’re tied together. What aren’t you telling me?”

Harry hesitated before talking. Was this something he wanted to share? Was this the right time? It kinda feels like there isn’t much of a choice anymore.

“Things aren’t good at home, they’ve never been. I’ve spent almost my entire life cleaning the house, cooking every meal, sleeping in the closet under the stairs. I learnt from a very young age that I can’t ever show any kind of weakness, I can’t limp, I can’t cry, I can’t do anything because Uncle Vernon will just make things worse. Don’t show weakness, don’t get hit. It’s a pretty simple thing to remember. Asking for help means I’m too weak to do something myself, I shouldn’t need someone else to do a task for me when I’m the one who’s meant to complete it. I don’t know how to ask for help, I’ve never allowed myself to”

Draco was left speechless. Harry Potter, the saviour of the wizarding world, the boy who defeated a great evil not once but twice all before the age of twelve, was abused? This boy who didn’t have a single bad bone in his body was a human punching bag all because of things he can’t control? Why that’s just absurd.

“I’m  _ The Chosen One,  _ there are expectations I have to live up to. Doing or saying a single thing wrong could result in a welt on my cheek or the complete distruction of the one place where I’m accepted. It’s a lose-lose scenario, Draco, what else can I do?”

“You could talk to me, talk to Luna or even Granger.” Draco gently stroked Harry’s thick locks, southing the anxiety he could feel bubbling under the surface. “We’re your friends, we’re here for you, to listen to you. You have never been weak, not in my eyes. You are the strongest wizard out there, both magically and mentally. It’s safe to say that I was not too pleased when all this began, but I’m glad that you’ve managed to find a part of myself that I would have never found on my own, a part of myself that is the best part of myself. Can I do the same for you? Will you let me find the most beautiful part of your soul?”

“Okay, I’ll try to open up to you more.”

“Good.” Draco grinned, planting a soft kiss on Harry’s lips. “Now let’s get to the couch, it’s bloody freezing outside and I want to snuggle until the moon sits upon her throne.”

“You’re such a poet.”

“Got a problem with that?”

“Not at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to like and Kudos if you enjoyed, I always read your lovely comments.


	12. Pumpkin Pastries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! This might be a slightly shorter chapter but I wanted to update you how things are going. I use a map to keep sure the narrative flows smoothly and often plan multiple chapters in advance. I'm reaching the end of the map so far, so I've been working on extending it. The next few chapters will be a bit shorter, they're all filler chapters as the big finale is about to come, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the story, for when one year ends, another begins.

It was a calm Wednesday afternoon when Harry was approached by Ron, carrying a chocolate frog in one hand and what appeared to be Hermione’s burrowed textbook in the other.

“Hey, ah, so I want to apologise for how I’ve been recently.” Ron sat down next to Harry, handing him the chocolate frog before he continued. “I always hated how much of a prick Malfoy was, so I took advantage of the one time I thought I had the upper hand. Turns out I was the prick. I wasn’t expecting you to defend Malfoy like that, you two didn’t look particularly pleased with each other.”

“Oh, well, Draco and I have become friends this year, and yes, I know, it sounds crazy,” Harry replied, pinning down the chocolate frog as it tried to slip out of its box. “We actually had a bit of a falling out not long before Christmas, that’s why things were a little sour. We’ve made up since then, but I hate keeping secrets from you. You’re my best friend and the thought of hurting you was just too much to bear. I don’t like it when my friends fight.”

“Well, that explains a lot.” Ron laughed, relaxing into the couch. “Look, mate. I’m not asking for you’re forgiveness, I was a bad friend. I just hope that we can patch things up.”

“Ron, I forgave you long ago. You’re my best friend and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Harry took a bite of his chocolate frog, Ron peering over his shoulder to see what card was in the box.

“Hey, who’d you get?”

“Slytherin.”

“How ironic.” Ron paused for a moment. “So, friends?”

“Yeah, friends.”

\----------

It’s been weeks in the making but Harry finally had the chance to see Sirius again. The usual topics came up in conversation, talk of Crouch and Bagman, accusing Snape and the Malfoys of something (this time it was the placement of Harry’s name in the Goblet of Fire), forming a list of possible active Death Eaters, you know, the normal topics. 

“Oh, Harry,” Sirius piped up as the trio were leaving. “Could you hang back for a bit, just wanna talk for a moment.”

“Um, sure,” Harry replied before turning to Ron and Hermione. “I’ll meet you guys down at the Hog’s Head?”

“Not a problem, mate. See you then.” Ron replied as he and Hermione left, Sirius waiting until they were out of earshot before talking.

“So, who is she?” Sirius asked.

“What do you mean?” Harry replied nervously.

“You’ve got that same look in your eyes as James when started chasing Lily.”

“Oh,” Harry looked down, scratching the back of his neck as a blush rose to his face. “She’s...um...just a friend?”   
  


“You don’t sound too confident about that.” Sirius crossed his arms, leaning against the cave wall.

“Well, we really haven’t defined our relationship yet. We’re just, us.”

“Okay. Tell me about her.”

“Blond hair, striking grey eyes. She’s tall, oh! And she plays Quidditch too.” Harry replied, paying close attention to not give away that Draco was, in fact, a boy. Sexuality isn’t very open in the muggle world, but he doesn’t know how things are in the wizarding world. He didn’t want to upset Sirius by saying the wrong thing.

“Hm. Does she play on any of the school teams?”

“Ah, no.” Harry silently prayed his lie wasn’t obvious. “She plays as a hobby.”

“What position?’

“Seeker.” Harry blurted out a little quicker than expected. He was meaning to say chaser, but it’s a little too late for that now.

“Competitive?”

“Very.”

“Sounds like a match made in heaven.” Sirius let out a barking laugh. “Reminds me of my cousin, Sissy. She wasn’t into sports but constantly challenged her sisters academically. We were close as children but drifted apart as we grew older. I haven’t talked to her since my disownment, I think she has a kid now. Wish I could meet him.” He looked sad for a moment before a grin returned to his face. “Maybe you can introduce me once I’m no longer a wanted criminal, I’d love to meet this girl of yours.”

“One day, Sirius. One day.”

\----------

“Hey, mate. What took you so long?” Ron was seated in the corner of the Hog’s Head, nose deep in his second glass of Butterbeer whilst Hermione was still on her first. Harry shrugged.

“Snuffles wanted to tell me something but he forgot. I took my time walking back, looking around at the trees and whatnot.” Harry sat down on the bench across from the pair, ordering a butterbeer of his own.

“That sounds nice,” Hermione said. “Far better than hearing about pumpkin pastry variations the whole walk down.”

“Hey!” Ron replied, picking up that Hermione’s last comment was aimed at him. “Everyone makes them differently. The ones on the trolley, the ones from the kitchen and the ones that mum makes all taste different. It’s important information to share!”

“Seriously?” Harry questioned.

“Yes, seriously!” Ron replied, almost offended that Harry would doubt such a thing. “The ones on the trolley have more pumpkin, and it’s creamier too. The house-elves like theirs with a bit of extra cinnamon, I’m honestly surprised they don’t put it everything. But mum’s, mum’s is the best. She’s got the perfect balance of everything! A beautiful harmony of flavours.”

“Hey, guys.” Luna and Ginny strolled over to the trio, siding down either side of Harry. “Ron giving his pumpkin pastries speech again?”

“Oh, Merlin. Don’t tell you’ve heard it too.” Hermione sighed, running her finger around the rim of her glass.

“Hermione, I’m his sister. Who do you think heard it first?”

“I was hoping the twins, at least  _ they  _ know how to shut him up.”

“Mione, I am hurt. How could you say such a thing?”

“With my mouth, Ronald.”

“Oh, bringing out the full name. She’s better than mum.” Ginny laughed.

“You mean scarier,” Ron replied, earning a right smack on the arm from Hermione.

“Now that was just plain mean.”

“Are they always like this?” Ginny asked Harry, who was tuning out the endless drone that was Ron and Hermione’s ‘conversation’.

“Bickering like an old married couple? Yeah, pretty much.”

“Wow. I truly pity you, Harry.” Ginny said sarcastically

“Thanks, Ginny, I feel  _ so  _ much better now,” Harry replied with an equal amount of sarcasm. “They could almost be my parents at this point, I can’t tell you how many times they’ve caught me sneaking back into the dorms late.” 

“Look at you,  _ Bad Boy Harry Potter _ ,” Ginny said with a cracking poker face. “What’s been keeping you out so late?”

“That’s none of your business, child. I’m just carrying on my father’s legacy.” Harry took a sip of his butterbeer, the mug hiding his widening grin. He barely noticed his drink when it first arrived.

“Child?! Who you calling child?!” 

“Hush, respect your elders.” Harry placed a hand over Ginny’s mouth only for it to feel suddenly wet. “Gross, did you just lick me?”

“Did you just lick him?” Ron had finally come back to the conversation, accepting that no matter how much they bicker, Hermione is always right.

“So what if I did, why’s it matter to you?” Ginny replied, staring down her brother.

“You know, I often question how we’re related.” Ron downed the last drops of his second butterbeer, preparing to order a third.

“So do I. Maybe you’re adopted.” 


	13. Flying Paint

There was one month left until the Third Task, and it was safe to say the energy inside Hogwarts had changed. Harry, feeling as stressed as ever, needed to relax with his favourite activity. Flying.

  


“Okay, so what’s the point of this again?” Draco asked, sending a confused look at the broom in his left hand.

  


“We are settling the biggest fight we’ve ever had.”

  


“Who’s the better kisser?”

  


“No, you idiot! Who’s the best seeker!”

  


“Oh. Well, that’s simple. I’m the best seeker, obviously.”

  


“Says the one who’s dad brought his place on the team.”

  


“At least I can see the snitch.”

  


“Ouch, low blow, Malfoy.”

  


Harry mounted his broom, taking to air as if he were a bird. Draco followed suit, watching carefully as Harry pulled a snitch out of his pocket.

  


“30 minutes, tops. No more than that.”

  


“Only 30? Oh, you’re not any fun.”

  


“I don’t know if you’ve forgotten but I do have a competition to prepare for.”

  


“Why so worried, it’s not like you need the money or the glory, you’ve already got enough of that.”

  


“I was a little more worried about my life, thanks.” Harry let the snitch sit in his hand for a few moments before letting it zip across the room.

  


“Wait, what’s my prize when I win?” Draco raised an eyebrow, his voice laced with both seriousness and light-heartedness.

  


“You mean  _ if  _ you win.”

  


“No, I mean when.” Draco tapped his chin for a moment, his eyes lighting up with devilish glee. “Winner gets a kiss.”

  


“You realise that the loser also gets a prize, right?”

  


“Oh, well, the winner gets a kiss and bragging rights.”

  


“Then it’s decided.”

  


“Scared, Potter?”

  


“You wish.”

  


Both boys sped off in the direction the snitch went, eyes searching for the little hint of gold. Draco suddenly flew off in another direction, he had found the snitch.

  


“Oh no, you don’t.  _ Santo! _ ” Harry pulled out his wand, trailing Draco who seemed to be faster. A jet of yellow paint shot out from the end of Harry’s wand, spattering on the back of Draco’s robes.

  


“What in the bloody hell was that?”

  


“A little something I got from the twins, you like it?”

  


“I do now,” Draco replied, sending green paint hurdling towards Harry’s face.

  


“What are you, a squid?” Harry whipped the green paint off his glasses, still flying with dangerous determination. 

  


Draco didn’t answer but rather shortened the distance between himself and the snitch. He reached out, wrapping his fingers around the snitch as he declared his victory.

  


“Ha! You see that Potter?!” Draco turned around to be greeted with the emptiness of the room. “Harry? Harry!”

  


“Down here!” Harry shouted back, dangling from his broom with a slipping grip. This wasn’t the first time Harry had almost fallen from his broom, he usually would climb back up and continue flying but his hands were slicked with paint.

  


Draco flew down without a second thought, quickly grabbing Harry before he had the chance to fall to the ground below.

  


“Dear Merlin, will you ever learn  _ any  _ semblance of self-preservation?”

  


“Well, I’ve almost died three times so far, so no, I don’t think I will.”

  


“Oh, you are such an idiot at times.”

  


“I know you love it.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, it's been awhile, hasn't it? I've taken a step back from this fic for a while because I wanted to focus on structure rather than writing at this point in time. I've also had a hard time trying to write things about how I wanted to. Chapters will be slow for a while but I can guarantee that there's a plan in place, even if it takes some time to execute.


	14. New Friends in Small Places

“Hi, Luna!” Harry greeted his friend who seemed not to have heard him. As lovely as she is, Luna Lovegood is often oblivious to the world around her. She doesn’t mean to do it, but sometimes she just needs to tune out the static around her.

“Luna? Are you okay?”

“Oh, hello Harry. I didn’t see you there.”

“Are you okay? You seemed a little out of it.”

“Oh yes, I’m fine.” Luna picked at a blade of grass near her feet. “Sometimes there’s too much magic around me and I can get quite overwhelmed. I’ve found the grounds quite peaceful since there are not that many people around.”

“Oh, well that doesn’t sound very fun. What’s it like?”

Luna pondered for a second before answering. “It’s like overwhelming static that takes over all your senses. You’re blinded by the brightest, most colourful lights to ever exist and all you can hear is the sound of your heart in your head. Your chest suddenly feels really small and constricting, you can’t breathe no matter how hard you try.”

“Sounds like a panic attack.”

“Panic attack?”

“Yeah, it can happen when someone if overwhelmed or anxious,” Harry replied, suddenly remembering all those times he was locked in the cupboard as a young child. “Your body tells you there’s danger even if there’s none there, it’s like you’re fighting a monster that only you can see. Fight, flight or freeze.”

“You seem quite knowledgeable on the subject, have you suffered from panic attacks before?”

“Yeah, countless times. I’ve spent my entire life hiding from villains, I’ve got to be prepared so I’m quite on edge at times. Sometimes my body doesn’t know when to step away and eventually leaps off.”

“Even in the muggle world?”

“Even in the muggle world.”

“Oh.”

Silence settled between the pair but it wasn’t the bad kind. It was a warm kind of quiet, the kind that makes you feel safe and loved in the company of others. Harry glanced over at Luna when he noticed a few green twigs buried in her dirty blonde hair. Then the twigs suddenly moved.

“Ah, Luna? I think there’s something in your hair.”

“Hmm?” Luna hummed, reaching up and pulling a small creature from her hair. “Oh, it’s a Bowtruckle. My hair must’ve been warm. How are you little buddy, are you okay?”

The Bowtruckle chirped in response which must’ve been good because he seemed to settle back in her hair.

“You should introduce him to Hagrid, he would love to meet a Bowtruckle personally.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Luna smiled softly before standing up and brushing grass off her skirt. “Want to come with me?”

“I would love to.” Harry took Luna outstretched hand, the pair of then happily strolling down to the homely little hut that sat on the edge of the forbidden forest.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I'll be pumping out the last few chapters in the coming days/weeks. They are a little short because hey, we all run out to steam eventually. When I upload the final chapters is somewhat dependant on how quickly I can work on book 2, I hate having to leave you guys waiting months before an update.


	15. An Odd War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, it's time for something new. Very compact but I'm hoping thee next chapters are up to par. Anyways, enjoy!

Fred and George and Weasley have never fought a day in their lives so when they suddenly stopped talking to each other in the middle of May, well, it set everyone on edge. Little did they know this was about to become the week from hell.

It all started when Snape’s goblet of pumpkin juice blew up in his face in the middle of breakfast. The Slytherins sat in silent shock as the Gryffindors roared with laughter. No one suspected Fred or George because they couldn’t have pulled off such a prank when ignoring the other.

The rest of the day was quiet but it was breakfast on Tuesday when something else happened. Ginny Weasley stormed into the Great Hall grabbing both twins by the ear.

“Which one of you put a toilet seat in my bed?!” 

“What gives you that idea?” Fred started.

“It’s not like we could’ve gotten into the girl’s dormitories.” George continued.

“Plus, we’re still fighting.” They both said in unison.

“I know it was you because it’s pretty hard to forget that you promised you would owl me a Hogwarts toilet seat right aftER MEETING THE SAVIOUR OF THE WIZARDING WORLD.”

“Are you sure about that? It’s not like they’ve kept any of those promises.” Ron piped in, mouth half-full with bacon and eggs.

“You know, Ronald might actually be right for once. I don’t think either of the twins has ever kept a promise.” Hermoine added, not taking her eyes off her book.

“Fine, you’re off the hook, for now.” Ginny released her grip on the twins’ ears, both of them rubbing the tender skin.

“Moine, that was really nice of yo- wait. What did you mean by  _ for once _ ?”

“Honestly, she’s worse than mum,” Fred muttered to himself before plotting his next glorious prank.

Wednesday was when all hell broke loose, literally. Someone had given Peeves an unlimited resource of prank materials and access to every square inch of the Hogwarts Grounds. Mood’s eye kept zipping in all directions, each of Snape’s ingredients was replaced with lollies and Dumbledore’s seat had suddenly sprouted warts and wouldn’t stop croaking. The students and teachers of Hogwarts thought it couldn’t get any worse, but it did.

All of the students’ exam papers had suddenly disappeared into thin air overnight, causing an absolute frenzy that was worsened by the stress of the impending Final Task. The one thing that shocked everyone the most wasn’t the sheer size of such a practical joke but that all of this happened while the Weasley twins, the most infamous pranksters of their time, still hadn’t spoken a word to the other.

Friday was horrible for everyone, all expected some horrible prank to pop up out of nowhere, bracing and preparing for the worst. But nothing happened and that was the worst prank of all, nothing but suspense and anxiety.

After all the madness that happened that week, everything seemed to be back to normal, including the twins. Some students speculate that Fred was spotted handing 10 Galleons of George, but of course, that’s just a rumour.


	16. The Return of Something Evil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is everyone, the chapter you all knew was coming. It is time, ladies, gentlemen and all those in between, for the Final Task.

This was it, the day the entire year had led up to. The Final Task. Draco Malfoy seemed to be the most anxious student in the entire school which did not help settle Harry’s feeling of impending doom.

“Look, I’m going to be okay. The hedge is the size of the Quidditch pitch and I can leave at any point if I’m hurt in any way. I’m not here for the money of glory, I already have more of that than I would like.”

“Yes, but have you forgotten that you are the poster boy of Gryffindor and therefore do not think before pulling out your wand.”

“Oh, come on. That’s not true.”

“We are bonded and only learned about the bond because you decided to think with your wand and not your head, twice.”

“I know you love me.”

“I wouldn’t go further than despise slightly less.”

“Menie.”

“I’m the  _ Heir of Slytherin _ , remember? I have a legacy to live up to.”

“Oh, Merlin. That was in second year and don’t forget that if I’m the poster boy of Gryffindor then it only seems fitting that  _ you’re _ my Slytherin counterpart.”

“That is a title I wear with pride, I come from a long line of Slytherins.”

“Only because those sorted into other houses were disowned.”

“I would say that hurt but I can’t deny the truth.”

“Harry, it is time for the task to begin.” Percy popped his head into the near-empty changing room before leaving again.

“Just promise me you won’t get hurt.” Fear settled in Draco once again, heart pounding so fast that it might burst out of his chest at any moment.

“I’ll be fine, okay? If anything goes wrong you’ll be the first one to know.”

“I will always be the first person to know what you’ve done, Harry Potter.” Draco grabbed the opening to Harry’s jacket, smoothing it down with his hands before they were encased in Harry’s.

“As will I, Draco Malfoy,” Harry replied, lightly planting his lips on Draco’s cheek before letting go of his hands. “I am tied to you as you are tied to me.”

“Merlin, I’m bloody terrified.” Draco pushed his hair out of his face, unsure of what to do with his hands.

“It’s okay. It’s not like I’m duelling Voldermort or anything.” Harry lightly joked. “See you out there?”

“Yeah, see out there,” Draco replied, leaving to changing room to find his seat in the stands. He sat down, face white and hands shaking.

“Malfoy, you okay mate? You’re as white as a sheet.” Blaise asked his friend softly who only nodded in reply.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Ties in first place, on eighty-five points each - Mr Cedric Diggory and Mr Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts school!” Ludo Bagman’s voice echoed throughout the stadium, the crowd’s response of cheering and applause scaring countless birds from the forbidden forest. “In second place, on eighty points - Mr Victor Krum, of Drumstrag Institute! And in third place - Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!”

With all the entry order for the champions complete, Draco held his breath and waited for the whistle to blow, and when it did Harry and Cedric sprinted into the maze entrance. The dark hedges closed around them, leaving everyone in a state of anxiety and excitement. 

The whistle blew for a second time, Draco’s heart rate picking up as Krum ran in. Harry was anxious and Draco could tell he was trying to keep his cool. Not long after it was Fleur’s turn, and so the stadium sat in anxious science.

“Malfoy, seriously, are you okay? You’re starting to scare me.” Pansy light shook her friend’s shoulder but to no response. Draco sat in terrified silence, experiencing all of Harry’s fear and panic in real-time. The sudden flare bursting into the air didn’t help, he could feel Harry casting it. 

“Hey, calm down! Since when did you care about someone getting hurt?” Blaise asked Draco who had begun to hyperventilate. Harry was scared and just let out a flare. Had he been hurt? Was he okay? All rational left Draco’s brain.

“I’m only human, I’m not soulless. I don’t want others to be hurt.”

“But you used to always wish harm onto Potter.”

“People change, Pansy!” Draco snapped. He couldn’t handle any of this.

“Look, it’s just Fleur, it’s not like she was going to make it far anyway.” This somewhat calmed Draco’s heart but he was still on edge.

Nothing eventful happened for most of the task after that, until a bright light suddenly shot up from the middle of the maze before darkening again. Something was wrong, Draco could feel it in his soul. He sprinted through the stands without a second thought, his leg burning in pain as he reached the professors at the edge of the pitch.

“Headmaster, I think that something’s wrong.” Draco barely managed to say between breaths, he suspects that Harry has hurt his leg in some way. Dumbledore gave him a quizzical look, the kind that prompted Draco to explain further. “It’s Harry, he’s terrified. I think that something has gone wrong. That light, it looked like a portkey. Please tell me they’re still in the maze.”

Madness was slowly creeping into the stadium, the spectators catching on and beginning to worry as the professors searched the maze.

“Please tell me he’s still-” Draco was cut off by a sudden spark of pain in his head, falling to his knees and clutching his head. It was a pain he had never felt before, screaming as he felt that his brain would split open. The pain kept getting worse, it was pure agony. What had Harry gotten himself into?

Once the pain has subsided enough for him to stand, Draco could feel the burning tightness of ropes across his body, only peaking his fear even further. “He’s tied up! Professor, He’s tied up! Harry’s been tied up!” Dumbledore sent a sympathetic gaze towards Draco, only confirming his suspicions. “He’s not in the maze, is he?”

“No, my dear boy. He isn’t”

Blood began to drip from a deep cut in Draco’s right arm. This night was just getting worse and worse. Harry was tied up and bleeding and Draco couldn’t do anything but sit through the pain, helplessness scaring both boys to the bone.

Pain seared his head once again as Draco sat on the damp grass, the world around his becoming nothing but a haze. How much time had passed? Where had Harry gone? Countless questions fulled his clouded head, unable to answer any of them. His mind had gone somewhere else, all the problems he ever had gone away. Why was he panicking? What was there to be scared about?

After what had felt like an eternity, Draco finally returned to the real world. He could hear people calling Harry’s name, causing his to search for the boy in question. He finally spotted a familiar nest of raven hair, resting against the chest of who could only be recognized as Cedric Diggory, laying cold and unmoving.

Draco stood up at the speed of light sprinting over to Harry who was now being dragged away by Professor Moody. He had to do something, anything. So, without a moment’s notice, Draco drew his wand, sending a Knock-back Jinx in Moddy’s direction, the spell so strong that it lifted the Auror off of his feet and flying into the wall of the Quiddich pitch. Harry turned, his eyes meeting Draco’s in an instant.

“It’s him, Voldermort. He’s back.” Harry whispered, clutching into Draco’s sleeve as he tried to stand, Draco eventually catching him and leading him off the pitch.

“Is Diggory, dead?” Draco whispered, trying to catch Dumbledore’s eye. Luckily, the Headmaster noticed and made his way towards the boys, leaving Fudge to attend to the tearful Amos Diggory.

“Harry, can you tell me what happened? Make it short if you would like, from the pain Mr Malfoy was experiencing it is safe to assume that you are in need of medical attention.”

“The cup, it was a portkey. Wormtail killed Cedric and use my blood to resurrect Voldermort, he’s back Dumbledore, he’s back.” Harry then turned to Draco. “And you dad, you dad was there too. I couldn’t see his face but he sounded scared, he was scared Draco.”

“I know Harry, I know.” Draco soothed Harry softly, stroking his hair lightly to calm both of them. He didn’t know how to react. His father, the man who loved and cherished him for as long as he could remember, had turned back to the Death Eaters.

“Mr Malfoy, if you could please take Harry to the hospital wing? I will let Poppy know you are on you’re way.”

\----------

Draco stared up at the high ceilings of the infirmary, unable to sleep. Harry was awake too, he could feel it. He got up out of his bed and hopped into Harry’s

“Can’t sleep?”

“Nope. You?”

“Me neither.”

“Do you want to talk?” Draco asked, wrapping his arms around Harry who thought for a moment.

“I’m worried. If Voldermort is back and we know your dad is back in his ranks, what are we going to do when he finds out that we’re close? You’ll be in danger.”

“He’s not going to find out.”

“You led me off the Quiddich pitch, I’m pretty sure Skeeter’s written tomorrow’s front-page article about us, I can see the title already.  _ The Boy Who Lived Beds A Snake? _ ”

“Oh, Merlin, you’re right,” Draco muttered, burying his face into the crook of Harry’s neck. “Father would be upset at the thought of us being  _ together  _ but if I tell him we’re friends then I’m sure we can figure out a plan to fool the Dark Lord.”

“Fool Voldermort? That’s one hell of a task if you can pull it off.” Harry paused for a moment, pressing his lips lightly against Draco’s temple. “What is this?”

“What is what?”

“You, me, us. What are we?

Draco pondered for a moment before answering. “Close. We’re close. We’re definitely friends but anything past that doesn’t really seem to have a label just yet. Maybe we’ll figure that out as time goes one.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

And so, both boys fell into the most peaceful sleep either of them had had for a long time.

  
  
  



	17. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are my friends, we have made it to the end. But this isn't the end for Harry and Draco for things are just beginning.

And just like that, the crazy school year had come to a close. The front page of the Daily Prophet following the final task was _Harry Potter, a Secret Playboy?_ Harry had eventually learned the truth of Moody’s true identity and how his name ended up in the cup and the last day was a sombre one, a vigil held in Cedric Diggory’s honour.

“So, you remember the plan, right?” Draco asked, himself and Harry walking to Hogsmede station.

“Yep. You owl first and keep things simple.”

“Merlin, I’m going to miss you.”

“It’s going to be fine, My uncle and aunt have been getting better with each year and my cousin punches me less.”

“I wish I could just take you to the Manor with me, enjoy the summer in the wizarding world for once.”

“I spend half of the summer with Ron and his family anyway, so you won’t have to wait long before you can owl me.”

“That’s _if_ I can owl you.”

“Come on, Draco. You’re smart, your plan is going to work.”

“I’m allowed to be worried though, aren’t I?”

“If you must.”

The boys stopped, staring into the carriage door.

“I guess this is where we part,” Draco spoke first, fiddling with the hem of his robe.

“I guess it is. See you later?”

“Yeah, see you later.” 

And so the boys stepped onto the Hogwarts Express, walking down the train in opposite directions. Draco paused for a moment before shouting down to Harry.

“Scared Potter?”

“You wish.”


End file.
